


Daybreak Hunt

by Ephemeral_Linen



Category: Pocket Monsters Diamond-Pearl Legend: Pokémon DP | Pokemon Diamond and Pearl Adventure!, Pocket Monsters: Diamond & Pearl & Platinum | Pokemon Diamond Pearl Platinum Versions
Genre: Abuse, Age Difference, Aged-Up Character(s), Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Character Death, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff, Freeform, Friends With Benefits, From Sex to Love, Hate to Love, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Oral Sex, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Child Abuse, Pokemon - Freeform, Pokemon Fanfiction, Porn With Plot, Sex Toys, Smut, Tags Are Fun, Tags Contain Spoilers, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, Vaginal Fingering, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-09
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-03-28 22:26:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13913466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ephemeral_Linen/pseuds/Ephemeral_Linen
Summary: Aged seventeen and secretly sexually frustrated, Dawn decides to take a break from her travels and go home to visit her family.  However, things have changed greatly in Twinleaf and she is then greeted by a familiar face. And to makes matters worse, a dangerous attraction soon ensures as Dawn finds herself down a dark path, with an unlikely ally. There is always light at the end, all there remains Is for Dawn to reach it. If she can.





	1. Beginning of Something New

**Author's Note:**

> (Originally posted on Adult Fanfiction)  
> Greetings. Ephemeral Linen here.   
> Let it be known that we will come across some dark themes in this story, in case you did not read the tags. I will not put any more warnings for each chapter as I feel like it will ruin the flow.   
> If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me. I shall try to answer them.   
> Note that this is mostly based on the games' story with bits and pieces from the anime and manga

It had been a while since Dawn had set foot on Route 201. It was a nostalgic feeling that befell her as she dragged her bike across the plain grass. Nearby, young kids were playing

She remembered it as was it yesterday; the day she left her house and headed towards Professor Rowan’s lab along with Barry and Lucas, to get their first Pokémon. Dawn glanced towards her bag, where her party lay, one of which was her Torterra.

Seven years, it had been.

Back then, he was nothing but a little Turtwig; slow to raise and ungodly stubborn. And Dawn, being everlastingly stubborn had a hard time keeping her patience. But they were stuck with each other and still, they had gone through an obscene amount of experiences; ranging from obligatory tasks like getting her badges and taking on the league to stopping a criminal organization from destroying the world. All done by a 10-year-old girl. It was too incredible to be true, but it was. Even still, Dawn had a hard time believing that she, through sheer curiosity and determination managed to push through and thwart a group of people, at least twice her age with double the level of life experience.

“Dawn! Dear!” a voice called out to her near the entrance of the small town. Looking up, Dawn saw her mother waving at her along with a few of the townspeople and Lucas. They all carried flags and were cheering loudly as Dawn stepped closer. She bit her lip to contain the bright smile that threatened to spread over her face. Unable to hold back any longer, she ran towards them, happier than ever.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Nothing had changed since Dawn had entered her home at first, much to her surprise. She sat down at the dinner table, taking one of four chairs. They never had the use of more chairs as rarely any guests visited, aside from Barry’s mother. For the most part, it was just Dawn and her mother and as Dawn got older, only herself as Johanna got into the contest life again in Hearthome City.

Johanna placed two cups on the table before heading towards the kitchen again.

“So glad to have you home, dear.” She said, her back turned to her daughter while she fixed two cups of coffee.

“It feels good to be home too, mom,” Dawn said, looking out the window, noting how the house across hers had installed shutters. Strange was it, as Dawn remembered the people living in there to open and friendly. But by the looks, it appeared that they suddenly decided to seclude themselves. As a result, the house came off as anything but friendly.

“Uhm…” Dawn began, to her mother’s surprise.

“Something wrong dear?” Johanna placed the two mugs on the table and sat down. She did not need Dawn to word an answer before she realized what the problem was by simply following her daughter’s gaze.

“Oh, the couple there moved to Jubilife City while you were away.”

“But the shutters. They weren’t there before, were they?”

“No, they weren’t. You see, we got a new neighbor now. A single man moved in not long after the house had been set for sale.” Johanna spoke before taking a swig of the mug. She stared thoughtfully at the house, the gears grinding.

“He was the one who installed the shutters.”

“He ruined the house though.” Dawn scoffed. Perhaps, she should tell her mother that she didn’t like black coffee. She stared aimlessly at the mug.

“Perhaps, but he is not a bad man. Despite what the townspeople say about him.”

That did not come off as much of a surprise for Dawn, considering the citizens of Twinleaf valued its social community in the little town and anyone not catering to that was considered an outsider. It had only happened once, however, with Dawn’s father. That said, she did not hold it against the townspeople; he had it coming.

Dawn rose from the table and walked towards the fridge, earning a confused stare from Johanna.

“Do we have any sugar and milk?” She asked, opening the fringed regardless.

“Don’t be like that, dear. You’re an adult now.”

“17 is still legally considered a minor.”

“Speaking of which,” Johanna began, her lips curling into a smile. “Have you found yourself a boyfriend during your travels? Protection? I’m sure the other regions have-“ Dawn knew what question would come up and she would have none of it.

“Mom!” she felt her cheeks flare up. No, she was still single. Romance had been at the very bottom of Dawn’s priority list, despite the many guys showing interest in her, especially after her run as a top Coordinator. But she shut down all of them, none interested her in the slightest and some, to be blunt, repulsed her.

The closest thing to a candidate would have been either Lucas or Barry and even still, she saw them as friends and nothing more.

“Calm down, dear.” Johanna laughed. “I get that you have been busy. Just remember to take your time and do what you feel is right.”

Right, that was the problem. Indeed, Dawn could have let any male flop atop of her but the idea of sex because society deemed it right to do in her age, didn’t appeal to her. She could do just fine without feeling pressured to give her body away.

 During her travels, she wished she could have explained it to her mother during their calls but, it was too intimate. Too personal and too complicated to admit that she wanted sex, hence the discovery and absolute bliss of masturbation, but she lacked the guts to ask somebody out and the self-loathing to let anyone deflower her.

The way that they had laughed at her still haunted her….

Dawn shook those thoughts away, grabbing the milk and headed back to the table. It didn't matter in the long run, now did it?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

After dinner, Dawn was standing outside in the cold with a box full of leftovers. There was enough food for at least three people but Johanna had instead that it was to be given to the new neighbor. Dawn sighed, heading towards the house across the street. With each step, she took, she was getting restless. But if her mother trusted this new person, then surely, he was harmless, was he not? Surely, it couldn’t be her father, could it? Taking a deep breath, Dawn made way to the house, tightening her grip on the bin-

Something or someone made impact with her, almost causing her to loose her footing. She stumbled around for a bit, before getting ready to shout and scream at whoever nearly gave her a heart attack.

“Excuse me?!”

“You should watch where you’re walking instead! That’ll result in a fine, you know.”

She recognized that voice everywhere. Letting herself cool down, she stood face to face with Barry, who had grown considerable. He looked more and more like his father, although his personality seemed to remain the same. He stood and looked at her, all with that cocky smile plastered over his face. Yes, he was still the same old Barry.

“Bite me.” Dawn scoffed, rolling her eyes. She did not find it within herself to be fully mad at him at this point. During her travels through Sinnoh, it had been a given that he’d crash into someone, every time they met. In all honesty, it would be strange if he did not bump into someone.

“Nice to see you too. What’cha doing out here?” He asked, fixating his on the bin in Dawn’s hands.

“My mom asked me to bring some leftovers to the new neighbor. Mister…” and it hit her that her mother had neglected to mention his name. She fumbled around with the words in her mind as she wondered what to refer to him as when Barry arrived at her rescue.

“Chiri. Mr. Chiri. Want me to protect you?” he asked, cocky as ever.

“Pffft, no. Besides, my mom likes him and if she trusts him, so do I.”

“Your mom is the only one, who he talks to. Let alone opening the door for.” That did not surprise Dawn as much as she had expected. Her mother was an outgoing and lively type, of course, she’d try and make friends with this guy, whoever he was. That said, Barry’s timid and worrisome mother stood no chance in the social game.  

“And what are you doing here?”

“I heard that you had come home so I wanted to say hi. Champ.” He nudged her, earning a brief glare from Dawn.  

“Really? How nice. But why now?”

“Because I haven’t seen the guy. I wanna meet him in person.”

The pair walked the few meters towards the dark house. The shutters were still drawn over the windows and not a hint of life could be detected. One could almost believe that the house had been deserted, as vacant as it appeared.

Dawn took a deep breath, trying to ignore the weary feeling that had snuck up on her in this very moment. She remembered to stay strong and knocked on the door loudly. The anticipation was killing her. Barry lurked in the background watching the scene unfold. It seemed that his request to be her bodyguard was not meant to be a joke.

But after ten minutes, Dawn grew restless. She knocked on the door once more, this time a little harder. She could just have left the bin at the doorstep and go home, but she was determined; determined to see what kind of man, this “Chiri” was.

Leaving was a prominent guest in Dawn’s mind and she would almost have done it when small noises from the other side of the door caught her attention. Keys turning and locks opening soon followed. Contrary to its appearance, there was still life behind these shutters. Dawn grew alerted and straightened her back more than humanly normal. Every muscle in her body tensed as the door opened.

“Hi! Uh, I’m Dawn, Johanna’s daughter. I-she wanted to give this to you and-“ But she cut herself off automatically when she looked up, feeling all blood drain from her face.

“Thank you.” That familiar voice spoke, as callously as she remembered it to be. Dawn failed to respond, standing motionlessly as the bin was removed from her hands.

No, it could not be. But it was.

“Is there a problem?” Yes, yes there was Cyrus, of all people stood before her, completely oblivious to the fact that he stood in front of the girl, who thwarted his plans of world destruction. Or perhaps he had lost oven more emotions during the last seven years.

“Y-you.” Was the only word that moved past Dawn’s lips, before her sheer surprise turned into unhinged contempt.

“…Say hi to Johanna from me.”

“Fuck you…” Dawn mumbled underneath her breath, just before the door was shut in her face. She was absolutely sure that he’d heard her. She could have kicked the door in, no matter how many locks he had installed. He was planning something; that was for sure. And Dawn would rather be dead than to let him destroy the world once more. But then it hit her; her mother!

Had he come to Twinleaf to get revenge on Dawn by harming her mother?

“Huh, he seemed like a strange fella.” Barry’s voice called her back to reality, oblivious to Dawn’s foul mood. Right, Barry had been battling Team Galactic alongside her in the Spear Pillar so he was well aware of their antics and who Cyrus was, so how come he not recognize him? Did Dawn really have to remind him? But then again, he’d rush ahead and make things even worse. No, she needed to think and for now, act alone. 

“Sure…”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The very next day, there was a major Pokémon Contest being held in Hearthome City, giving Dawn enough space to hatch out a plan. The townspeople, including her mother, would go, of course. Honestly, Dawn did not come back home to fight crime once more so it vexed her to oversleep or rather pretend to oversleep so that her mother and everyone else would leave without struggling to get Dawn with them. In actuality, she had been awoken the entire morning, listening to every sound in the little house. Despite the seven-year time gap, it was easy to conclude that her mother’s morning routines had not changed one bit. When she was sure that Johanna was out of the house, she rose from the bed and got dressed as quickly as she could. Forcing herself to lay in bed all morning, constantly made her body remind her how hungry she was and it was an injustice to neglect that hunger.

Thankfully, her mother had left some breakfast for her, which was still faintly warm. Preparing a cup of milky coffee, she sat down ready to eat. She needed to think about the situation of hand. Cyrus, the former leader of Team Galactic who tried to destroy the world just because his parents never loved him enough, was now her new neighbor. If he was capable of controlling an entire group of people to follow his nihilistic world view, who knew what he was able to do now especially when the bane of his existence spent every waking hour right next to him. It would only be strange if he did not hold anything against her. He was a callous man and by no means dumb.

And no matter how much, she thought for, she was unable to come up with a proper plan that would quickly make this situation blow over and send Cyrus packing. But the town was somewhat empty so if she could battle him into submission, at least she would have accomplished something.

There was no other option.

Dawn finished her breakfast and did her best to appear as calm as possible when she made way to the house across the street. The shutters still covered the windows and Dawn wondered for a brief second about how the inside of the house looked like. Not to mention the smell if he never opened the window. She marched straight towards the door, hammering on it as hard as she could. Her hand throbbed terribly afterward but she tried to ignore the pain, considering that she would have to get ready to punch him if needed. Unlike yesterday, the locks opened way faster

“I challenge you to a battle!”

“…I’ve no interest in battling you.”

“Because you know you’ll lose?” Dawn scoffed, not waiting around for an answer.

Cyrus stared unfazed at her. His cold gaze made shivers run down Dawn’s spine. It unnerved her to no end but she could not afford to show any weakness now.

“Because I have no Pokémon able to battle.”

“Then spill the beans, what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to live my life in peace.”

“Are you kidding me?” Knowing him, it was impossible to tell if that’s was the case. Cyrus stepped aside a bit, opening the door some more. The light was on, so he did not live in total darkness and unlike what Dawn had imagined, there was no foul odor coming from the inside. But that did not relax her the slightest.  She quickly jabbed her hand in her bag, ready to bring out Torterra something should try to jump her.

But instead came an Eevee. A Shiny Eevee. It yawned and rested against Cyrus’ leg. It was completely oblivious to Dawn’s presence. It looked no older than a mere baby. But he had other Pokémon beforehand, didn’t he? No matter how much, she wanted to question the legitimacy of that, there were more pressing issues at hand.

“What do you want from my mom?”

“Johanna…”  He said, deep in thought. “She’s a kind woman but she was the one, who came to me.” His manner of tone was simple and deadpanned, almost as if he was stating a matter of fact.

“And you took advantage of it.” Dawn had to internally restrain herself from outright shouting in his face. Sure, they were seemingly alone in town but still, she wanted to remain discrete.                

“Because she refused to leave me be.”

“Then why are you here? Why don’t you leave?”

“It’s a good town to be forgotten in.”

Dawn could have thrown some more questions at him but there was something about those words, that made her hesitate. She paused for a second, wondering what it was. What was she to do now? He had given her answers and yet, Dawn had no clarification of whether or not any of it was true.

“Are you finished?”

“Not yet!” for now, yes. “I’ll be keeping my eye on you!” She stepped back from the door, just now noticing that the Eevee now focused its gaze on her. It crept behind Cyrus’ leg, seeming wary of her. It should be wary of its owner instead. Her warning fell on deaf ears as Cyrus simply shut the door in her face, once more.

He did not even bother to return the bins from yesterday and-who cared about those stupid bins anyway?

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Laying in bed, Dawn felt like she was at square one. She felt just as lost as yesterday and calling this “meeting” progress would be a far cry from what it actually was. A waste of time.

And then she remembered! Looker! He was after these bastards too, wasn’t he?

Perhaps she should call him. But then again, the idea of an International Police officer coming to such a peaceful city such as Twinleaf would send mass hysteria across the entire area and the neighboring towns.

No, she had to do it herself.

“Dawn? Dear, are you home?” her mother’s voice suddenly called through the house. That Contest must have been a quick one, or did she really spend hours thinking about how to stop Cyrus once more?

She rose out of bed, feeling under the weather. A lot. But she could not afford her mother to see her like this. Dawn had never been good at masking her emotions, let alone lying. Honesty was the way to go in life but what could she do when she lived right next to a dangerous criminal and her mother treated him like a friend?

“Hi, mom. How was the Contest?” Dawn fixed a cup of hot milk for herself after having waved to her mother. She used to drink this all the time when she was very young. Dawn doubted, she could make it as delicious as her mother but it was worth a try.

“It was great. It almost made me start wanting to start again.” Johanna spoke with the kind of joy that could only come from the bottom of one’s heart. It brightened Dawn’s mood to hear her mother this happy. She poured the milk into a cup and applied a teaspoon of honey to add that extra sweetness.

“That’s good to hear…”

“Oh, I forgot to mention this; Mr. Chiri is coming over for dinner,” Johanna said with even more joy. However, Dawn almost choked on her milk. She bent over the sink, coughing and wheezing.

“Sweet Arceus, are you all right?”

“I’m-I’m fine.” No, she was absolutely not. She was anything but fine. Finally catching her breath, she stopped herself from turning around as her face descended to a dark frown.

“You should take some water, sweetie,” Johanna said as she walked closer to her daughter. “I’ll be shopping for tonight. If Mr. Chiri comes over, please fix him something nice, will you?”

“Fine.” That was not intended to come off as bitter as it did but was what a girl to do? Her mother asked her to provide service for a criminal, who tried to destroy the world. Of course, it was not her mother’s fault that it ended up like this. But still…

Her mother seemed to be completely oblivious to Dawn’s dismay as she let out a cheerful “Take care!” before she grabbed her bag and headed out the door. As Dawn was now all alone in the house, she chugged down a glass of water before she dragged herself to the dinner table. But as crazy as it may seem at first, it soon began to give Dawn ideas. Perhaps, this would not be such a bad thing. Perhaps, she could get some answers from Cyrus and get him to leave her mother in peace.

A mere few moments passed before there was a sudden knock on the door. The front door was located in such a place where it was impossible to get a sneak peek at the guests from any viewable angle, that would not leave one right out in the open.

Frowning, even more, Dawn walked to the door, not sure of what she expected. She could always need a tiny chat with Barry or Lucas to brighten her mood. Or perhaps, it was Professor Rowan who had come to congratulate her.

Anything but the person, she was looking at now.

Cyrus, or Mr. Chiri, was not particularly happy to see her either or perhaps it was due to the fact that he had forgotten how to smile. Under his arm, was the Eevee from yesterday, sleeping peacefully. Why in the world did he carry around that poor thing like a sack of potatoes?

Dawn could not step aside immediately as she would much rather smack the door in his face and tell him to “piss off”. However, her initial plan was to get information out of him, not start a war no matter how much she wanted to.

From the corner of her eye, she saw unsuspecting townspeople minding their business and it became clear that she could not afford to make a scene. Against her deepest wish to start a fight, she stepped aside, glaring at him. If eyes could kill, Cyrus would be dead five times.

He ignored the cold stare and walked inside, not bothering to look at Dawn When she turned to him, he was standing in the middle of the kitchen, looking either bored or heavily sedated. It baffled Dawn as to how this man could become “friends” with her mother. Her mom, the sweetest, most lovely and fun person in the world, enjoyed the company of this brooding, nihilistic bore.

“Why are you here?”

“Because your mother invited me.”

Of course. Given their previous interactions, it was impossible for Dawn to be remotely nice. And faking kindness would just come off as phony. She scoffed and stormed right past him to the kitchen counter. Her mother asked him to provide service for this bastard and that is what she had to do, even if it was a crack in her pride. She could feel Cyrus’ eyes burning a hole in her back as she turned on the coffee machine. She could not quite put her finger on it but his prying eyes and that icy mask that he always wore, unnerved her. His presence alone was enough for her to feel just as shaken now as her time in the Old Mansion. Or when she had to venture into the Distortion World. But it made her wonder; after their battle, where did he venture off to?

Without any words of courtesy, Dawn handed him the cup. Staring at his chest rather than his eyes. Despite being seventeen, she had not grown much, aside from her breasts and her hips. By all accounts, Dawn was still petite. And if he wanted to, Cyrus could probably lay her down easily. Action spoke louder than words as they said. Even if that was true, Dawn had no chance of battling him, let alone taking him on physically.

But the fact that his presence was so overwhelmingly effective on her irked her to no end and she prayed to Arceus that her mother would return in this very moment. Dawn would likely go mad if that was not to happen soon. Yet, she was not completely frenzied as a quick movement from Cyrus suddenly flickered before her eyes, and her instincts kicked in. She had no idea how or where Cyrus attacked her from as she lashed out, defending herself. However, before she could properly assert herself, her wrist was caught with such a force that it felt like shockwaves pulsated through her very being. Coming to her senses, she found herself looking at the floor with the Shiny Eevee wandering around the house without a care in the world.

“What are you doing?” Cyrus’ monotoned voice caught her attention.

“I should ask you the same.” Dawn hissed, the venom in her voice growing stronger once she realized that she could not get free right away. Despite holding a cup of coffee in one hand, his grip on Dawn was tight like a rope. No matter how much she tried to yank her wrist free, he stood there like a statue, not budging even once.

“Let go of me!” Dawn now used her other hand to get a hold on Cyrus as she tried in vain to break loose.

“You tried to punch me.” He answered nonchalantly.

“Because you tried to attack me!”

This shut him up for a bit and Dawn almost thought that she had won until he suddenly chugged down the entire cup of coffee before letting go of the mug. It fell to the floor but remained intact upon impact. Plastic did not break too easily but it didn’t change the fact that what he had just done was absolutely rude. However, before Dawn could properly call him out, her free hand was caught and she now found herself struggling even more.

He had complete control over her.

“You are nothing like your mother. You are abrasive, annoying and as it turns out; violent. The only trait, you inherited was that stubbornness.” He began to berate her. “I suppose the father is to blame.”

“…Fuck you!” Dawn sneered. Her sense of morality slipped away and an uncontrollable rage emerged within her. Like a flame involving into an inferno, it grew considerably

 She gritted her teeth and pulled with all the power that her arms could muster. Whether it was effective, remained to be seen. But her stubbornness and anger compelled her to try again. With all of her might, she tried jerking her wrists from his grip before feeling her entire body pulled the other direction. With a thud, she stood pressed against Cyrus, making it impossible to not look at him. A dark shadow loomed over his ever-so emotionless face.

Dawn hated it. She hated standing here, alone with this man. She hated that her knees buckled underneath her as she had her entire body pressed against him. She felt so weak and dizzy from the hot mixture of her anger and something else, something that made her stomach swirl. It felt so awful and yet so horrible.  She could have punched him in the face but at the same time, she could also…

“I don’t know what you’re after but I intend to live my life in peace.” Once more, Cyrus brought her thoughts back on track. It occurred to Dawn that she ought to thank him for distracting her from those thoughts. And finally, he let go of her.  Dawn rubbed her wrist, almost jumping backward. They were surprisingly not sore after, what felt like an eternity in handcuffs. Still, her fingers were a tint of blue and red marks left by him served as a thorn in her eye.

She took a quick glance of Cyrus, who had picked up the cup. It looked like his usual frown had softened up a bit as he looked at the bluenette. Dawn had no doubts that the former Galactic Boss was always plotting something and it would not surprise her if he was thinking hard and long about how to handle Dawn.

Or maybe he saw the cracks in her façade. Maybe he saw _it_ burning in her eyes. That twisted sense of lust, which had decided to pay a visit just now. Dawn shrugged by the thought of her secrets slipping out; if that was the case and who said that he would use it against her…

There was no way that he saw it, right?

“Oh Eevee!” Johanna’s voice called out in joy. Dawn turned around to see her mother with both hands full. The little Pokémon let out a chipper roar before running to a corner of the house and preparing for another nap.

“Hello, you two!” Johanna greeted the pair. She wanted to wave but forgot that she was occupied.

“Let me help you.” His voice was somewhat humane now and Dawn wanted to throw up at the insincerity. Even dolls had more life than this. She saw him walk towards her mother and take the grocery bags.

“Did my girl take good care of you?”

“Yes, she did.” There was not an ounce of dishonesty in Cyrus’ voice but they both knew that he was lying through his teeth. Dawn remained quiet, more than usual. Her mood had hit rock bottom and this man would stay in her house and pretend as if nothing had happened. Or maybe, it was her frustrations over her weakness from earlier doing the talking. Regardless, she’d rather be locked up in her room or anyplace in Sinnoh. Anywhere but here.

Now she needed to hatch a new plan but that was easier said than done. Dawn needed something to distract her mind for a bit as her head was cloudy. 

“I’m going to the bathroom,”


	2. Beginning Of Something New

The pleasure of her own body was the best thing, Dawn could ever give herself. And after today, she damn well deserved it. She moaned into her pillow, rubbing against her clit as she reached climax. The sweat peeled off her forehead whilst juices of lust ran down her legs. The vibrator was set at a low level but it was already enough to send her close to the edge, Dawn inserted the toy deeper within herself, the vibrations sending shockwaves through her entire body. She gasped for air, her entire body shivering until she reached climax once more. The swirling from earlier extended through her every nerve, sending wave after wave of orgasmic pleasure until she came with a loud cry. Cum leaked from her pussy and onto her hands and the bedsheet. Truly, it was a mess but Dawn didn’t care. She collapsed onto the bed, ready to sleep right then and there but there was still the issue of “Mr. Chiri” downstairs and the fact that dinner had not been served yet.  She could always lie with being sick however as she did not feel like getting out of bed.

Besides, it gave her an opportunity to watch Cyrus interact with her mother. Spying was a morally low but desperate times called for desperate measures. Getting out of bed, Dawn wiped the vibrator as clean as she could and stuffed it into her bag.

“Dinner’s ready!”

She really did not want to do go. And this session had not cleared up anything for her at all. Tired and grumpy, she dragged herself downstairs. Her hair was likely tousled but at this point, she could not care less. A pleasant fragrance welcomed her as her stomach growled, reminding her that she was hungry. That reminded her that she had not been eating since this morning. At the dinner table, sat her mother and Cyrus. Dawn’s heart sank even further as she saw an empty seat, right across Cyrus. She wanted the Earth to part in two and swallow her in that very moment. To escape looking directly at him, the bluenette averted her eyes to the Eevee sleeping near the door. A bowl had been placed right next to it, seemingly empty now.  

“Take a seat before the food gets cold.”

She begrudgingly sat down, forcing a strained smile to her mother. It would be pointless of her to start a scene, no matter how much she wanted to tell the truth to her mother. So, for now, she tried to swallow her dinner, ignoring the borderline nauseating feeling that grew inside her.

As Johanna and Cyrus had a rather joyous conversation, or Johanna really, as Cyrus spoke very little, Dawn got lost in her thoughts once more, focusing on how little she had actually eaten. It was quite ironic considering how hungry she felt before. Perhaps it was Cyrus’ presence draining her appetite.

“Dawn?” Johanna suddenly interrupted whatever type of conversation that she had with Cyrus and turned her attention to Dawn. “Dear, are you all right? You’ve barely eaten anything.”

 _I know, mom. You can thank the guy in front of us for that_ , was what Dawn wanted to say to her mother but that would get her nothing but the satisfaction of dropping the bomb. On the other hand, she would have to deal with the fallout. Instead, Dawn forced yet another smile and took one big bite of the food on her plate. She struggled with swallowing.

“I’m perfectly fine.” It was the hardest lie, she ever had to tell. She continued to force the food down her throat, amazing that she had not puked yet. Every now and then, she looked up to make sure that Cyrus didn’t ogle her but he was completely disinterested in her, Thank Arceus. From that point, her mother resumed that conversation from before.

* * *

“You.” Cyrus narrowed his eyes at Dawn when he opened the door. Co*ntrary to yesterday, he was nowhere as cheerful as with her mother, if one could even count his utter fail at human emotions as ‘cheerfulness’.

“Yes, me. Now let me in.” Dawn snorted. She quickly looked around to make sure that no suspecting townsfolk were present. The last thing she wanted was biased rumors running through the region like spitfire.

“If it is about my motives for living here, I’ve already told you everything,” Cyrus said, nonchalant as always.

“Wait! I got a friend in the International Police! I’ll make sure to make them come here and bust you!” The bluenette pushed herself against the door, not daring to let him off the hook again. She knew that Looker had been on the hunt for people like Cyrus and now was the perfect timing, especially if he kept on hiding his little secrets like this. She could also have called Cynthia but what good would she be anyways? It was Dawn and to a lesser extent Barry, who had taken Team Galactic down all by herself.

Regardless, she would still have to call Looker so he could take Cyrus away and lock him up behind bars once and for all, even when he spilled the beans. Sure, it would be a coward move but who needed honor when dealing with criminals?

This seemed to win him over as Cyrus stepped aside, letting a pleased Dawn through. She charged into his living room, always keeping an eye on him. She watched him adjust the multiple locks on his door. Dawn wondered what use they were for; crime rates in Twinleaf were next to nonexistent and the closest thing to ‘crime’ would be mischevious kids knocking on your door and run off. But Cyrus had apparently prepared for a full-on home invasion.

“Ok, so tell me everything! How did you get from the Distortion world to my town?” Dawn headed towards the corner of the living room, near the sleeping Eevee. If he intended to attack her again, she would like to create as much distance as possible. The tiny Pokémon awoke and rubbed itself against Dawn’s leg. She would love to pet it if it was not for the obvious.

“I left,” Cyrus said, simply and shortly. Too shortly in fact and Dawn was not pleased. Of course, he did. What did he think she was?

“I get that but how?” Dawn glared, closing the distance between them. If he had to take her seriously, she needed to appear fearless. “You should have been captured!”

For a brief second, Dawn wondered how much sense that made, considering that the only Galactic member that had been captured was Charon and that was because he was involved in other activities outside his team’s shenanigans, including experimentation on Pokémon. Somehow Mars, Jupiter and Saturn had avoided capture and it just occurred to her that the public never saw Cyrus’ face, let alone heard his name. In actuality, he was the very definition of a puppet master. That said, it did not take away from the fact that he had tried to destroy the world. 

“Has it ever occurred to you that there are such things as second chances?” He said, walking over the kitchen. Dawn stared intensely after him, preparing for whatever he might could do but surprisingly, he simply kneeled down and grabbed a bowl, likely belonging to his Pokémon. It seemed like he ha let his guard down, perfect for a surprise attack. She already knew what happened the last time, she tried to attack but now, she had an advantage, or so she believed. Slowly, she made way to the corner, silent as humanly possible. At times, like these she wished that she had a weapon.

Fuck peace, if it meant that she would save the world a second time, it didn’t matter if she cracked a few skulls. Dawn now stood a few feet away from Cyrus; if she reached out, she could easily touch him. Now was her moment to gain the upper hand. She shook off all fear from before as she raised her hand above her head, counting down from three before she took a swipe at him. But her worst fears soon came true as Cyrus quickly moved to the side, his hand locking around her wrist. He glared at her with his emotionless expression, although his eyes held such a chill bitterness, that made Dawn hold her breath with worry.

“If you do that again, you will be sorry.” He tightened his grip on her.

“Hey! What are you doing?” Dawn tried to pry his fingers of her wrist but to no avail. As she struggled and hissed like a mad Gowlithe, she found herself pushed against the wall. It was impossible to break free. Je was too strong. It was exhausting to keep struggling and Dawn found herself more drained by the minute. Slowly, she stopped struggling, hating herself for doing so. But it was worth it if Cyrus would finally let go of her.

But the problem was, that he didn’t.

He had her captured in this compromising position where she had no escape from his icy gaze. If he wanted to, he could stare directly into her soul and expose her deepest secrets. It unnerved Dawn to no end, who had no energy left to tight with. So she closed her eyes, trying ti shut out the anxiety that slowly crept up on her. She needed to endure for as long as she could, ignoring the dominating figure in front of her that kept her restrained at his mercy. With no strength left to fight, he could do whatever to her; even bend her over and take her right then and there.

She shouldn’t think such impure things so, she tried to put them away only to realize what an effect tey had on her.

They turned her on.

 _Curses,_ she couldn’t deny the rush that raced through her body, making her dizzy all of a sudden. She felt intoxicated and weak as the familiar cramps of desire twisted and turned inside her, The precum from her core, soaked her panties, and she had to bite her lip to prevent herself from saying something undesired.

This wasn’t normal. He had barely touched her, let alone done anything to arouse her like this. But the nasty thought of him dominating her as now did the deed. Although Dawn believed it to be futile, she still hoped that Cyrus would have overlooked it.

“How old are you?” He suddenly asked, sending a slew of thoughts through Dawn’s mind.

“Why do you care?” she hissed, unable to figure out what the heck he wanted to know that for.

Cyrus didn’t answer right away. Instead he raised his arm, taking Dawn’s with him. He then closed in on her, inches away from her lips. Dawn was speechless, even more so when she felt his knee between her legs. She let out an accidental cry as he rubbed against her.

“Ah…. D-don’t!”

But her pleads was cut short of his lips upon hers, waisting no time before Dawn could feel the edge of his tongue against hers. Letting her desires run lose, she spread her legs apart some more. Cyrus withdrew his leg from her tight, making her whimper in want. He stood and simply looked at her, unfazed with what he had done to her before repeating his question.

“How old are you?”

“Seventeen…” Dawn breathed out, desperately trying to collect herself. It suddenly felt so cold without Cyrus’ touches and she felt so disturbed by herself for thinking that. “When will you turn eighteen?” He asked, his eyes darting down to the tiny wet spot on his knee. Another terrible reminder of Dawn’s depravity.

“A-about a week from now…”  And with those words leaving the edge of her lips, he suddenly let go of her. It took Dawn a while to get accustomed to her own body again as she slumped down the wall, her legs still trembling with want. From the corner of her eye, she saw the Eevee drinking from the bowl in the kitchen.

“You’re still a child,”  Cyrus said, getting Dawn’s attention once more. His eyes followed her as she rose from the floor, pulling the edge of her skirt. She prayed to Arceus that he’d stop staring at her. It annoyed her to no end that she could not even guess what he was thinking, æet alone how he felt or his motivation for anything. Especially pandering to her lust, only to cockblock her.

“By law only. What’s your point?”

“Isn’t it obvious? Unfulfillment is reeking off from you. You may not want to admit it but you wish for something more.”

Curses, he had seen right through her. That said, he did use a cheap shot by molesting her like that. Regardless, he had seen her most vulnerable side. She may had Looker on her side but he had found out about her deepest secret and played them against her.

“Oh so now you want to rape me! Is that it?” They both knew that was a farfetched accusation and Dawn internally scolded herself for saying something so ludicrous.

“No. But as I mentioned before, you’re still a child and it’d be immoral of me to continue.” Cyrus answered coldly, distancing himself from her and dillydallying around as if nothing happened. It was really cruel of him to just leave her hanging like that.

“…Dammit.” Dawn cursed underneath her breath, hoping that her mumbling was low enough for Cyrus to overhear it. She straightened herself, letting go of her meantime.

“But what if I….” Dawn trailed off, fighting for morality to take over but her animalistic instinct had already taken over. “What if I consent?” She wanted to kick herself in the stomach for such vile thoughts. Sure, he had exposed her depravity but he didn’t need any more ammunition to gun her down with.

“No.” he answered dryly. Dawn remained silent, and thinking. Cyrus’ rejection had only confused her further than to give her any answers.  Part of her wanted to leave right away but a deep desire to stay

“What do you expect to get out of this?” She said, still backed up against the wall. Her neves tingled with excitement when Cyrus walked right past her to the living room, inches away from touching her. Such a prick, teasing her like this.

“Nothing.”

“Huh? But why are you then doing this to me?”

“To kill time, I suppose.”

“Kill time? So when I eventually become legal, you’re just gonna use me as a hobby?”

That only frustrated Dawn further. She was well aware that Cyrus was a nihilist with a seething contempt for humanity, which was ironic because he was human himself. But why invade her body like that and then say that he gained nothing out of this? A lot of things could happen over the course of seven years, even changes in philosophy, but she sensed none of that from Cyrus. He was as cold and distant like he had always been. But what did he take her for? Sure, she was depraved but she was var more valuable than that. Then again, this was the same man who once said machines were better than humans. Nothing about him had changed. Literally.

It was odd but a sudden realisation fell over Dawn as it occurred to her that literally, nothing had changed about Cyrus. How old was he when they met? Twenty-seven? That would mean that he was thirty-four but he looked like he hadn’t aged at all. Not even a single strain of gray hair or a wrinkle. Johanna’s blue hair had grayed a little over the years and wrinkles began to appear, although she was aged forty-four. Was it really fair to compare her mother to such a man?

“Found anything odd about my appearance since you’re staring at me?”

“You haven’t aged at all, or it may just be me?”

“You’re correct. You can thank the Distortion world for that.”

“So you’re immortal?”

A dark shadow crept over his face, although his expression remained the same. Even if Dawn couldn’t read him, she could feel the anguish radiating from him. She didn’t know if she should she be proud or terrified for hitting a nerve like that without even intending it.

“No.” He said, his voice low and more grim than usual and that said a lot. An awkward silence befell the room  This was getting beyond uncomfortable. Unlike their first encounter, Cyrus was not busy with shoving her out the door but instead he took a seat in a small couch, acting as if she was never there. The Eevee jumped to the seat next to him and curled up on his lap and he sat there, simply petting her.

To not get overtaken by frustration, Dawn crept towards the door, glancing at Cyrus, who had still no reaction to her soon-to-be absence.

“I’m going… but I’ll be keeping an eye on you!”

“I’m sure you will.”  Cyrus said, indifferent as always.

* * *

Instead of going directly home, Dawn paid a visit to the small lake located at the rear end of Twinleaf. The townsfolk greeted her as usual as she found way to her destination. She hadn’t noticed it before now, but the weather was getting colder and she froze a bit, shivers running down her spine. Unlike when she was younger, she didn’t move around as much now, because she didn't have a league to conquer or a region to fully explore.

But she needed peace to think about her meeting with Cyrus and what to do with him now. He had found dirty on her and he knew what to do in order to get her under his spell. It was easy for him to say that he only did this as a hobby. Of course, things couldn’t possibly be this simple. Ulterior motives were bound to lurking in the dark.

Dawn kneeled by the pound, grabbing a small pebble and hurling it against the surface of the water before it sank to the bottom.

A new thought entered her mind. If she gave in to his ‘demand’, could she then turn the tables around by physically manipulate him. Cyrus may be a nihilist but he was also human. It sounded ludicrous but it was the best way of her to regain some control of the situation. It annoyed her that she didn’t have a definitive plan when she was forced home by the cold.

A flyer was placed on the dinner table when Dawn returned home. She would normally not care for such things but for the sake of morbid curiosity, she picked it up. It showed an image of the Gym Leader Fantina, posing with a mask. Apparently, it was a special contest that would take place in the Contest Hall, where Fantina would not only host the entire show but also perform in it along with some other fancy Coordinators. It seemed that the theme of the event was masks. Like a fancy cosplay party. According to the flyer, the even would be followed with a chill period were people could

The sound of a happy humming came from the kitchen and Johanna peeped her head out the door, a big smile plastered over her face. “Isn’t it exciting? Oh, we could go together!”

Dawn wasn’t too keen on the idea and she would likely have said no, seven years prior. But for the sake of her mother, she nodded affirmative, fearing the worst. “I didn’t know you liked masquerade parties.”

Johanna chuckled, coming out of the doorway. She sat down at the dinner table, still smiling. “I don’t normally but I thought it could be fun.”

“Besides,” her mother leaned closer, smiling brighter. “Consider this a birthday present.”

 _Oh yeah_ , this party was scheduled for the evening before her birthday. Her legs suddenly shook when she thought of her meeting with Cyrus. Odd how _that_ was the first thing that entered her mind upon hearing about her eightienth birthday. She needed to get her mind away from all these naughty thoughts. Dawn rose from the table, ready to get some food as it just hit her that she was starving. She could hear her mother hum behind her as the middle-aged woman happily skipped to her bedroom. It was incredible how this party could bring such a happy smile on her mother’s lips, considering she was never the biggest party girl in her youth. Speaking of, what kind of party would this be anyways? Surely not a typical party woth drugs and strong booze. Knowing Fantina, it would liktly just be somewhat of a cocktail party with fancy dresses and drinks with a few sideshow entertainment from Fantina. Nothing out of the ordinary.

“Dawn,” Johanna said, bringing her daughter out of her thoughts. Dawn looked at her mother, who now stood near the front door, bag in hand. “I’m going to shop for dinner, anything special you want?”

“Hm, how about Slowpoke tails?” That wasn’t necessarily Dawn’s favorite dish but she had heard that it tasted great on her travels. It wouldn’t hurt to try, now would it?

“Sound good to me!” Johanna said. She grabbed her purse from dinner table and headed out the door, leaving her daughter alone once more.

* * *

A week passed by without much excitement. For the time being, Dawn felt her strong barricades slowly dissolve into nothingness, and to combat that, she spent her time with Lucas and Barry, pretty much anything that could get her mind off the latest encounter with Cyrus. That said, it was next to impossible to do at night when she was alone in her bed, the primal urges of her body being her only form of company. It was a dangerous mix, that let her hating herself a little more, everytime she gave in. Her plan of tricking him and then gain the upper hand was already falling apart before it truly began, wasn’t that sad.

Dawn tried to stay away from Cyrus was much as she possibly could, without completely ignoring him, it was not that much of a hassle as he never seemed to left his house. On occasion, Johanna would head over to his house with leftovers because apparently, he never went grocery shopping on his own.

Poor Eevee, being stuck in that house each and every single day. Maybe that was why it always slept so much. Its only means of freedom was when he brought it to Dawn’s house, where it also slept most of the time.

Therefore, it came as a surprise when Dawn was trolling on the road to Professor Rowan’s lab, and she saw the little Pokémon nesting underneath a tree. The little Pokémom yawned, its glossy tired ayes scanning the surrounding area before lighting up upon seeing Dawn.

“Hey there,” she said, kneeling to pet the creature. “What are you doing here?” The Eevee snuggled against the palm of her hand, putting two paws o her leg. Although it looked fine, she doubted that it was safe to let it roam outside like this, so she picked it up, making a mental note to scold Cyrus for being so careless. The Pokémon snuggled in her arms, looking content with its place. As it let out a small cry, Dawn noticed something surfacing beneath its fur. A collar with a small name tag, hang around its neck. Dawn grabbed the tag, squinting her eyes to read the writing.

“Mitsumi,” it said. Odd, if that was its name, seeing how Cyrus never referred to it as such. But who was she to judge, it didn’t bother concern her what he called his Pokémon. Soon, he wouldn’t even be able to see them from behind bars. Dawn chuckled at the thought as she delayed her journey to Sandgem Town to bring the Pokémon home. _Fine_ , let him have his moments with ‘Natsumi’.

In reality, Dawn was not completely confident with her own plan, mostly because ehse didn’t have what could be considered a proper plan. ‘ _Use my body until he goes under’_ , didn’t sound too assuring and given how sensitive Dawn was already, she couldn’t imagine how she would last, unless Cyrus just happened to suffer from micropenis or some other arbsudity, although she doubted it. They day of her eighteenth birthday was the day after tomorrow and by then, her weak-willed body had to be prepared for when Cyrus decided to jump and violate her. She was pretty sure that he’d continue to force himself on her if itwasn’t for the fact that she was still a minor at that time. She wondered how it would be then… if he, if they…

It was getting increasingly harder for her to concentrate on mundane things and instead, her thoughts would shift to the image of Cyrus’ hands slipping underneath her skirt, pulling her panties down and rubbing against herm bringing her over the edge-

 _Dammit_ , she cursed. Once again, her primal urges got the better of her. A small whimper reminded her that she was still holding the little Eevee in her hands. Sighing, she put the Pokémon down, watching as it casually strolled to Twinleaf. Finally, she could go on to visit Professor Rowan with all the data that she had collected over the years. It was certain that he would be most pleased.

She did wonder where he had been traveling during this time and how he was doing it, considering her age. But Dawn remembered him as a man in his prime but seven years could do many things to just one person. But that was beside the point, she needed to go see him, present his data and then leave. And stop thinking about Cyrus for once.


	3. Promises

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been a while, has it not, dear readers? I apologize for the delay.   
> On another note, you may notice a few “spelling” errors in Fantina’s dialogue. That’s deliberate; those are French words. 
> 
> NEW beta reader; LordiTheUltimate. She has an account on the site so I suggest you go read some works of hers.

The day of the party rolled, turning Twinleaf down upside down. Not just Twinleaf however but the entirety of the Sinnoh region. Soon, the event and everything about it entered the news. Truly, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity. After all, it was not every day that Fantina the fabulous would invite the entire region over to see her perform. Although the hype for this event was unreal.

But regardless of Dawn’s opinion, she was still going and that was it. But what should she wear? Dawn looked through her closet, not finding much outside some old dresses from eons ago along with some of her grandmother’s stuff. She sighed at the thought of going out to buy something, knowing how packed the street would be, not to mention the shops. Taking a pink princess-like dress and shoving it back into the closet, she closed it and headed downstairs. Maybe she should have bought one a few days earlier instead of worrying about-

“Dawn, dear? Come here for a second, would you?” Johanna called from the staircase, prompting Dawn to go downstairs. Her mother stood in the middle of the floor, wearing a black dress with an X-like design near the top. It reached right underneath her knees. It looked quite good on her. “What do you think? Can I still wear this?”

A low chuckle escaped Dawn. “Of course. You look amazing, mom.”

Johanna’s eyes gleamed with pure joy as she did a twirl with the dress, feeling like she was on top of the world. For a woman in her age, she still looked stellar. In an alternative world, it would not surprise her if a certain someone found her attractive, hence his ‘friendship’ with her. Speaking of which, it had always irked Dawn how her mother never pursued a relationship again up until now after that asshole known as ‘ _father’_. Her mother deserved way better than this, after everything he had done.

“Dawn!” Johanna’s voice suddenly broke through, bringing the bluenette back to reality. She focused her eyes on her mother, who held a dress in her hands. It was a soft pink lace dress that reached just above the knees. Two thin straps seemed to hold the entire thing together, should it clad a female body. But needless to say, it was cute. “I bought this a few days back but as you can see, I’m too old for this.” Johanna smiled, walking towards her daughter with the dress. “I think it would look cute on you.”

Without much of a hassle, Dawn got dressed, leaving her casual clothes on her mother’s bed. Indeed, it was a perfect fit. Perhaps too perfect? It had been years since she had worn something this pretty; it almost felt like it was too beautiful for someone like her. How sad of her to think like that. _Did one’s self-esteem dwindle with age_ , she wondered.

A sudden knock on the door interrupted the mother-daughter pair. Dawn feared the worst as she saw a wide smile on her mother’s lips. That could only mean one thing. _He_ was here. A grimace crept over Dawn’s face as she went down to the bed and sat down, defiant and grumpy. Low muffled voices came from the front door, not that Dawn particularly cared for what they were talking about. It was not before her mother suddenly called out for her.

“Dawn, come out please!”

 _Great, just fan-fucking-tastic_ , Dawn internally raged as she begrudgingly rose from the bed and exited the bedroom. Lo and behold ‘Mr. Chiri’ stood there, his expression just as animated like that of a dead Magikarp. Dawn tried to ignore his piercing gaze, that kept staring her down, whereas her mother seemed to revel in the chance of showing off. “Mr. Chiri is watching the house while we’re gone. I thought he should get the courtesy of seeing us since he won’t be joining us tonight.”

A forced, unconvincing smile appeared on Dawn’s lips. “O-oh. Is that so?”. She wanted to barf. And would he just stop staring at her! She looked away, focusing her gaze somewhere else.

“I can’t thank you enough,” Johanna said, clapping her hands together. Her eyes gleamed with happiness when a small smirk, not much sincerer than Dawn’s fake happiness appeared on Cyrus’ face. How her mother failed to see the insincerity was beyond Dawn.

“No problem,” Cyrus said. “I’m not much of a party animal myself.”

_No shit. He was a real bore, when not plotting to make time and space his bitches._

“I’d love to keep chatting but we really have to prepare ourselves for the evening.” Johanna smiled warmly, turning her eyes towards Dawn.

“It’s perfectly fine. Just take your time.”

He didn’t need to say that twice before Dawn quickly headed towards the staircase and made way for the bathroom. Finally, she had some level of privacy. Why of all times, did he had to come by _now_? Dawn had a hard time being fully comfortable in this dress and him ogling her like that didn’t help one bit. She kneeled down and searched through the cabinets, finding a hairbrush. She needed to get her mind off on other things, like what hairstyle to wear. Currently, her hair was almost straight aside from a lock tied into a flat ponytail at the back. She removed the hairclip and proceeded to position her hair in all sorts of styles.

“Letting your hair lose works fine as well.” Cyrus’ voice came out of nowhere, almost giving her a heart attack.

“What the fuck? What are you doing here?!” She hissed, mindful of her mother hearing her. But the biggest problem was what Cyrus was doing here in the first place. Silent as the grave, Dawn let her hair loose and took a reluctant look into the mirror.

_Curses, it did look better._

“Your mother asked me to find some things for her. A hairbrush, I believe.” He said, entering the bathroom without an ounce of courtesy. What in the world was he thinking? Who was he to wander around in _her_ house as he pleased? It was unreal.

It was almost like he reminded her of someone. Someone like her father….

“Here.” Dawn scowled as she handed him a hairbrush hidden away in the cabinet. Now if he would just take the stupid brush and leave.

In actuality, it was pointless for her to wish for anything good happening as their previous encounters had only played in his favor. If karma existed, it sure had a cruel sense of morality. Instead of actually looking at him, she kept her eyes on her mirror image. She hated the fact that he was right in regard to her hair. What did he know about such things anyway? Dawn made a mental note to pull it into a low ponytail, just to spite him.

She could feel the brush slipping out of her grasp. That meant that he had gotten what he came for. Now the only thing was for him to leave her alone. But instead, he came closer to her. So close in fact that when she tried to look away, she could still catch a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror.

Suddenly, she felt the sensation of Cyrus’ hand brushing against her back. For a man so cold, his hand was surprisingly warm. His hand traveled to her lower back, right above her behind. As surprising as it was, Dawn was more baffled and frustrated at her inability to slap his hand away. Despite the pleasant tingles that ran down her back, this was still wrong after all.

“You said you wouldn’t touch a minor,” Dawn said, hoping to get Cyrus off balance. She doubted that would help in the long run. However, victory was not so farfetched as he brought his groping to an abrupt stop.

“In regards to intercourse.” He said after a long pause. His hand was still planted right above her ass like he owned her.

“Yo-you never mentioned that.”

What was the meaning of this? He mentioned ‘going any further’, not just intercourse only. Did he just now change the rules as an excuse to grope her as he pleased?! Screw ‘her wanting to be satisfied’, _he_ was the true predator here!

“If you knew about evolution as a ten-year-old, I’m sure you’d have figured this out.”

“It’s not a matter of ‘figuring shit out’. It’s the law… and your ethics-Hey!” Dawn flinched as she felt the skirt of her dress being pulled up and Cyrus’ hand slipping underneath her panties. It tickled terribly, even when he simply held her ass. Her breathing grew rigid as Cyrus moved his hand, caressing her bare hip. And just as quick as he had groped her, his hand slipped right outside of her panties, leaving Dawn to hang once more. At this point, she was certain that he got a kick out of it.

“Is everything all right? Johanna called out from the staircase, indirectly rescuing her daughter from Cyrus’ presence. As soon as her mother had yelled from the staircase, he left the bathroom without even as much as a half-assed glance in Dawn’s direction.

Did he really just see her as a fleshlight to be manipulated and treated as it pleased him? Dawn didn’t expect much, given the circumstances and still, she was disappointed.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The Contest Hall was packed to the brim with people in masks, as one would expect. Excited but also wary of the sheer amount of people, Dawn made sure to stay close to her mother at all times as they entered the Hall. Her mother wore a Finnion mask, that almost went well with her dress whereas Dawn, had found a lone Cresselia mask on their way to the event. Since no one bothered with it, Dawn bought it, earning a few judging gazes from her mother, who would much rather have her wear something pinker.

It was hard to take note of the interior of the place but Dawn quickly noticed Fantina alongside other household names in the Pokémon Contest community. As soon as enough people had gathered, amazing as it might seemed, the Gym Leader began her opening speech.

“Bonne soirée, citizens of Sinnoh and welcome!” As she spoke, the Hall suddenly went eerily silent. “It is an honorer to be performing for you all on this wonderful evening. Please, enjoy this event and let us all have a merveilleux time tonight!” Fantina finished her speech with all of her signature dramatic flair and broken foreign language. As soon as she had spoken, the crowd went wild with applause and whistling, which somehow only grew louder as the other performers entered the scene and the first show began.

Tough luck for Dawn, as she was stuck behind some gentleman, who was so tall that he obscured all view from her. Or maybe, it was because Dawn was still relatively petite. Either way, she tried to shift her position around, to get a better view but to no avail. Meanwhile, her mother was hypnotized by the show, her eyes wide with excitement and it would be cruel of Dawn to ask for a shift of positions since they were around the same height.

As the show came towards an end, the crowd began to dissolve at an alarming rate as Dawn felt herself moving with a current of people. Noticeably people taller and bigger than her. For a young adult, she was what many could consider petite and with that bit of self-awareness, it suddenly didn’t sound too strange when she thought about _how_ Cyrus overpowered her.

She hated it.

Sulking deep in her thoughts, she tried to ignore being pushed around like a boulder and the awful rush in her stomach that it gave her. She felt nauseous, short of breath, ready to collapse at any given moment. She hated crowds and she hated parties.

_Where in blazes was her mother?!_

“Son of a bitch!” Dawn cursed under her breath, feeling another rush of panic wash over her as an elbow to the face knocked her mask off. She stalled for a moment, rubbing the sore spot on her temple when it suddenly occurred to her that her face was exposed. Frantic, Dawn tried her best to search for the damn thing

Suddenly, without notice, a hand reached out to her, holding her mask. Dawn blinked a couple of times, then looked up to meet eyes with a stranger, dressed in a black cloak. They looked like they were ready to explore the coldest depths of Snowpoint City. Green hair rested on their shoulders and obscuring their face, was a Cofagrigus mask. It looked rather eerie, given their overall appearance but regardless, they did return Dawn’s mask and even if they appeared unnaturally gloomy, they seemed to be polite.

“Oh, uh, thank you.” She said, trying to force a sincere smile but in reality, she was just moody over receiving a blow to the face and not getting an ounce of acknowledgment. She grabbed the mask, thankful for the stranger’s kindness as well as the miracle that was a lack of any damages. Now less panicked, Dawn quickly turned to the stranger in order to ask them about her mother but they had vanished. Flabbergasted, the bluenette stood for a couple of seconds, trying to find the stranger once more but they were simply gone.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

As time passed, people began to leave so it became easier to move around not to mention, Dawn could now see the net performances, a fact that pleased her somewhat. After the third performance or so, Dawn headed towards the far end of the hall, seeing how the staircase was cleared, so she could get some fresh air and feel less like dying. Honestly, this whole thing made her head hurt, and it reminded her why she hated such events, to begin with. Even when Fantina was such a blast to watch as a performer, it still didn’t sweeten the fact that Dawn already felt drained from the whole party.

Even still, a childish side of her refused to outright leave as her mother remained to be found and Fantina still hadn’t performed yet.

“Hey.” An unfamiliar male voice created Dawn as she stood literally inches away from the staircase. She sighed with silence before turning around to see whoever had come to bother her.

“Hello.” She smiled, albeit with bitterness and salt. Just as she had expected, a stranger around her age now stood before her. Part of her was disappointed that it wasn’t the stranger from earlier. If that would have been the case, she would be less bitter in general. All she wanted was fresh air, not be flirted with by some asshole.

“So, what is such a pretty thing such as yourself up to?” he asked, playing it forward. He leaned against the wall and invading her personal space at the same time.

 _Great_ , it was gonna be one of those situations. However, Dawn decided to play it cool, not feeling bitter enough to be outright snarky. She backed up a bit, her feet touching the first step of the stairway to freedom. Something told her that he’d probably leave her alone if she came of ass dull as possible.

“What makes you think that I’m pretty? There could be a real nightmare under this mask.” She said with all the dryness of ten deserts.

“I doubt it. I saw your face earlier. But,” he paused, the sleaziness dripping from his voice. If sexual desire had a color, it’d likely be pink and this guy would be drenched in it.

“Mind if I take a look again?” he asked, clearly not waiting for an answer; consent was a mortal enemy to people like him. Without warning, he reached out to grab Dawn’s mask but the bluenette quickly jumped to the first step.

“Aw, don’t be shy.”

“Excuse me but what are you doing to my fiancé?” yet another voice asked, however this time, Dawn immediately recognized it and she thanked external forces for their blessings. As from sent from someone, who heard her prayers, Lucas suddenly appeared, causing the man to step back. Unprompted, he wrapped an arm around Dawn’s waist, pulling her close as to signify his dominance. He smiled at her before shifting his attention to the sleazeball.

“Sorry sir but I’d prefer it if you leave her alone. You don’t want me to beat me to a bloody pulp, now do you?”

“…Shit.” The man spat before quickly backing off, sending a mean glance towards Lucas. As soon as he had left, Lucas let go of Dawn, sighing deeply as if he had just passed a test.

Ecstatic, Dawn turned to him with a bright smile on her face. “That was amazing. I can’t thank you enough. You saved my ass. Literally.”

“Oh, don’t mention it. To be honest, I’d be doomed if he actually had the guts to brawl me. I am as weak as they come.” Lucas said as he put the Chimchar mask on.

“Wanna go to the balcony?”

“Sorry, Dawn. I’ve got a long day tomorrow with Professor Rowan.” He laughed rather nervously. In all those years, he still worked as an assistant for the professor. Now that Dawn thought about it, it had always been in Lucas’ gene to help others, like how he taught her about the art of catching Pokémon and showed her stupid young self the various facilities.

In every essence of the word, Lucas was what others would consider a gentleman. Dawn made a mental note of spoiling him someday as a token of gratitude.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 ‘The air of the night and the cool small breezes felt a true blessing. Not to mention that the balcony was relatively large and the fact that there were only a small handful of people present, only highlighted its size. However, it didn’t matter, as Dawn quickly made way to the far end, leaning against the railing. The pounding in her head cleared somewhat, and she felt less like dying now.

“Happy birthday.” A low grueling voice suddenly said behind, throwing Dawn into a state of brief shock. “Holy shit!” she breathed out, almost jumping in place. She quickly looked behind her, only to see Cyrus wearing a Giratina mask. In terms of clothing, it was as mundane as ever. But the bigger question was, what was he doing here?

Dawn cleared her throat. “How about not jumpscaring me like that next time? Besides, weren’t you supposed to watch the house?”

Cyrus showed no concern about how he treated Dawn, shrugging his shoulders as he walked up next to her. He removed the mask from his face. The light of the Contest Hall that cast light on his back hid his face in a shadow. He looked more frightening than endearing.

“Indeed, I was but I came to check up on you.” Was he referring to that douchebag from earlier?

“Thanks, I guess.”  She sighed, unnerved by how close he stood to her. She could practically hear him breathing, no matter how low it actually was. The clock had passed midnight; she was eighteen; she was legal. But was she ready? Rubbing her arms, Dawn stepped a little closer to the edge of the balcony, resting her hands on the reeling. “You chose a Giratina mask How symbolic. Or should I say edgy?”

“Your choice, I don’t care.”

“Of course, you don’t.” Dawn rolled her eyes. She leaned a bit, relaxing her body. Who could imagine that heels were so exhausting to wear? A round of silence befell the balcony as the pair stood and looked over the darkness of Amity Park. The cold soon got to her and she rubbed her arms some more in an attempt to warm herself. On the other hand, she could feel the warmth radiating from Cyrus and she desperately fought the urge to hug him. But somehow, her thoughts were heard as Cyrus suddenly stood right behind her, his hands placed on her shoulder. They were warm; he was warm. Dawn could have melted right then and there. This wasn’t good, she was already falling apart before anything had really happened, her vulnerability leaking through. “I…” She trailed off.  “I want to wait until we get home.”

“…Thought so.” He said, his voice low and husky. Shivers ran down Dawn’s spine as a deep part of her begged for him to keep talking. She squeezed her legs together as her skin got ten times more sensitive. Desperate, she bit her lip in order to stop those cursed words for falling off her lips. _Dear Arceus, please tell me that he didn’t notice_ , she thought, hoping that fate had any mercy left for her.

“Consider it a birthday present from me then.” He said, his tone of voice remained unchanged. It was hard for Dawn to ignore the sensations running through her body. Slowly, she felt his hands sliding off her shoulder along with the warmth and every single nerve in her body screamed for his return. The way that he teased her like this was unbearable, to put it mildly. Taking a deep breath, she turned around to scold him when suddenly she found herself alone. _Cheeky bastard got away._

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

 “There you are!” Johanna greeted her daughter, who had finally returned from the balcony. She placed her hands on her shoulder. “Where in the name of Arceus have you been?”

“Mom.” Dawn breathed out, her nerves still tingling from the event and her mother’s maternal touching didn’t help one bit. “I-I was outside, getting some fresh air.” Dawn was well aware of how spaced, she appeared but her mind just couldn’t pull it together. She prayed that the encounter had been an illusion but it felt too real to be fake. How absolutely pathetic that she was this defeated, even before Cyrus had gone to town with her.

The slew of emotions must have been written all over her face as Johanna asked with a worried tone. “Honey, is everything all right? You look kinda off.”

“I’m kinda tired. When does Fantina’s performance start?”

“Right now, in fact.”

 _Finally_ , Dawn thought to herself. She and her mother headed as close to the rows as possible, to make sure that they would get an unobstructed view. Soon, the lights dimmed and Fantine prepared her performance with Loony, her Driftblim. As expected, it was a beautiful show filled with grace. Dawn felt less like disintegrating once the show had ended. The Contest Hall boomed with noise as the audience applauded the Gym Leader, showering her with praise and admiration.

“Merci beaucoup! Merci!” She waved to the audience and the crowd went even wilder. At some point, it got a tad too much for Dawn so she inched her way through the crowd, her mother following right behind her. Thankfully the crowd had lessened since the opening of the event and Dawn felt like she could finally move freely without fearing another elbow to the face.

“Dawn, dear. Slow down!” Her mother protested behind the bluenette. Soon, they neared the exit of the Contest Hall. It seemed that several people were also leaving at this time, satisfied after having watched a majestic performance.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

It was an hour after midnight and one hour into Dawn’s life as a legal adult, once they got back to Twinleaf. Not strangely, there was still some light inside the houses at it would seem that other townsfolks had also returned from the grand event or had watched it at home as it was being televised. Dawn’s house just happened to be one of the illuminated ones. As her mother fumbled with the doorknob, Dawn decided to take off her shoes as they were currently killing her.

Walking home from Hearthorne City was no joyride.

She followed behind their mother as they walked through the front door and not strangely enough it was open. Once they walked inside, they were met with a deafening silence. Still it was no secret that someone was there as the little Eevee greeted them in the small entrance. It let out a small cry.

“Hello there.” Johanna said with a smile as she stepped out of her high heels. Once her mother had disappeared from the hallway, Dawn tried sticking her foot in Cyrus’ shoes, which had been neatly put away under the shelf.

As she had suspected, they were fairly warm.

A grimace crept across her face as she ventured inside her house. Sneaky bastard just barely managed to get back in time. She saw him sitting at the kitchen table, in the middle of a conversation with her very enthusiastic mother although Cyrus didn’t look remotely interested. It was a pity that her mother didn’t get the hint.

“It was an utmost wonderful party.” Dawn heard her mother say. She saw her hands caress his shoulder like a doting housewife. It made the bluenette nauseous by thinking about it. Theoretically, Cyrus would have been considered too young to be a father to a girl her age but then again, seeing how her mother interacted with him left a lot to be desired.

And more importantly; she didn’t need another father in her life. One was enough or rather; one too many.

“I could imagine that,” Cyrus said. If he intended to imitate genuine human emotion, he failed badly. Occasionally, he looked at Dawn, who merely shot him an angry glare while her mother chirped away about how amazing the party had been.

“I’m going to bed. Goodnight.” Dawn sighed, sounding grimmer than she intended to. She wanted to hug her mother as a “thank you” for even bothering with someone like her but considering how Cyrus occupied her living room, she couldn’t bring herself to show any weaknesses.

“Thanks for the birthday gift by the way.” She said instead with the sincerest smile, she had given in ages. It felt good to be happy for once.

“Don’t mention it, dear.” Johanna finally let go of Cyrus, waving towards her daughter. As Dawn was about to ascend the staircase with satisfaction, her mother stopped her halfway. “Oh, before you go too far away, would you mind showing our guest, the spare bedroom?”

A sinking feeling emerged in the pit of Dawn’s stomach and she resisted the urge to scream “NO” in her mother’s face. Apparently, it was not enough that this man had free reins to wander around in their house as it pleased him but now, he also had a free ticket to sleep here, right across Dawn of all places. But that was not what angered her the most; it was the room in which he was supposed to stay in.

“That is if he even wants to stay.” The bluenette said, hiding her inner frustrations exceptionally well. She begged for Arceus to make him decline so she didn’t have to present her private space to him and more importantly be reminded of that awful place.

“Very well. It can be arranged.” Cyrus said, looking at Dawn as if he had read her thoughts. Dawn almost fell to her knees in defeat with her inner voice screaming a loud “NO” in pure anger and defiance.

“Wonderful! Now, sleep well, you two.” Johanna said as she rubbed her feet, presumably from the high heels. Admittingly Dawn’s feet hurt as well and she couldn’t wait to rest for the night.

“You too.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Ascending the staircase and having to acknowledge the room across her own was more of an endurance test than anything, Dawn had ever experienced. She felt sicker in her stomach with each step that she took. It didn’t help the unnerving feeling of Cyrus’ presence looming behind her. If she would have to acknowledge the only source of joy, it would me the Eevee walking by her side, sniffing to everything. The house itself wasn’t very large, so they soon stood in front of her father’s old study. A place that held many bad memories and unpleasant flashbacks. She had learned to ignore it after all these years but now when she had to show it to her mortal enemy, she felt like the old wounds of times long gone, began to reopen.

“Here.” Dawn jerked her head towards the closed door. She stepped aside as Cyrus grabbed the handle and opened the door. The scent of her father still lingered in the room, making Dawn nauseous so she stepped towards her own bedroom, staring at nothing to avoid looking inside. There was nothing to see anyway; the study had not been touched since her father left.

“This room… it hurts you, does it not?” She heard him say, his voice lower than usual.

“No.”

To say, it “hurt” her would be an understatement. It didn’t only hurt her, it ate away of her psyche. She had just begun to suppress all these fucked up memories when suddenly, she had to stare them all back in the face. Like a black void bearing all the dark, cold evil of humanity.

“You’re an awful liar.”

“Shut up!” Dawn hissed a lot louder than intended, yet Cyrus stood unfazed by her temper.

“Dawn, dear? Is everything all right?” Johanna called from the staircase.

“Everything is right, mom.” The bluenette said as a sense of déjà vu washed over her.

“…Guess I was right.”

“Get off your high horse and go into that room before I kick you in there!”

“You really are nothing like your mother.”

Instead of letting her impulses take control and shout at him for her owns faults, she instead took a deep breath and turned her back to him, entering her own room and slamming the door in his face. Once inside, she let her body slide down the door in defeat and buried her face in her hands.

No, Dawn was nothing like her mother. She did not have her mother’s charisma or charm, or infectious positivity, that had made her so beloved by many. She had not even tried to get her heart broken, mostly because she hated the very idea of opening said heart up to anyone. If Johanna was considered the perfect woman, then Dawn was the imperfect clone and she didn’t need Cyrus to stand there and remind her of all that.

Apparently, she had inherited everything wrong with her father except the lack of empathy.

Rising from the floor, Dawn dragged her body to the bed where she pulled off her dress and let it fall to the ground. Only standing in her underwear, she removed the earrings and whatever accessories that she was wearing and put them on the nightstand before crawling into bed. Because Dawn was young and carefree in her early years, she had demanded a double bed, once she turned eight so she could feel like a princess. But once, she got around to sleep in it, she felt very much isolated and alone, like a small fish in an ocean.

Now wasn’t much different

Dawn covered herself with the blanket, unable to sleep as her thoughts were running wild. She was now a legal adult and that was the least of her worries. What occupied her the most was the promise that Cyrus had made to her. She couldn’t help but feel that all chances had practically been thrown out the window after she snapped at him.

Soon the door to her bedroom creaked open and Dawn held her breath, her heartbeat increasing in rate. Feeling the flood of bad memories drowning her, she instinctively sat up and reached for the nightlamp as quickly as she could.

However, once the light revealed the form of Cyrus, she was instantly calm again, albeit feeling awkward.

“Oh, it’s just you.” She said, rather off-tone. She was still grumpy after their last exchange and refused to let any sense of joy escape her body. Instead, Dawn covered herself with the blanket and moved away as Cyrus sat on the edge of the bed. 

“Who else should it be? I made you a promise, did I not?”

Correct. The time had come.


	4. Our Little Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It has been too long, has it not?  
> You know what time it is, do you not, dear readers? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Dawn had prepared herself for this moment for an entire week and still, she could not mentally get a hold of herself. Still, her nerves were dancing all over the place with anxiety written on their backs. Still, she had the blanket wrapped around her, still curled up into a ball. Still feeling high from when Cyrus suddenly entered her room.

Still feeling like she was eight again.

She didn’t move an inch as Cyrus came closer to her, although still sitting on the edge of the bed. Considering their previous liaisons, it surprised Dawn that he hadn’t ripped off her underwear and jumped her yet. Then again, she wasn’t letting her frustrations out on him or insulting him to his face.

“Are you regretting it already?” he asked, his tone flat as usual. If he was disappointed, he sure was good at hiding it.

“N-no! It’s just… I dunno.”

“…Then why are you crying?”

“Shoot! It’s nothing. I’m just-it’s just…” She quickly wiped the tears away from her cheeks. It irked her that he had noticed that before it even began to cross her mind. He really was one hell of an observing bastard.

But before Dawn had properly thought of an excuse, she suddenly found herself being embraced of all things. It took a while before the whole matter sank in that Cyrus of all people was actually hugging her. A man who couldn’t care less for humanity was suddenly in her room, embracing her before she could properly unravel. For a second, a fleeting thought entered her mind but was quickly pushed away again… the thought of talking to him, about those awful years and that study. He had already stuck his nose in there once, and they both knew that he had caught the scent of some dark and troubling memories.

But that would put her in a position where he had more power over her, and if he wanted to, he could use her troubles against her. For now, it would be best to lead him away from the truth and distract him as best as she could.

“Why are you…?”

“One could argue that your mother influenced me greatly. Therefore, I find myself more… different than what I used to be. I suppose that is a good thing.” He said and after a short while, he let go of her. Dawn suddenly felt so cold without his embrace, even if his hands slid down her shoulders, taking the bra straps with them.

“Huh. And here I thought, you only kept her around for convenience.”

“I didn’t intend to befriend anyone when I came here. Your mother just happened to be persistent. And I-“ Cyrus bit himself off, looking away in thought. His expression remained unchanged but it seemed that he was carefully weighing his words. “Needless to say, as annoying as she is, she’s the closest thing, I’d call a friend in this life. However, had I known that you were her daughter, I’d have stricter reservations.

“You’re a jerk.” She scoffed, shivering a bit as he pulled the bra down, revealing her naked chest. Dawn may have stayed petite in height but she was what others would describe as well-endowed. It was the one thing, she could take pride in for herself.

“Perhaps I am. By the time, I let my guard down, she bombarded me with baby pictures of you. I didn’t know it was you at first before I saw that wretched hat.”

“That ‘wretched’ hat was a gift from my grandmother,” Dawn said sternly, grabbing the collar of his shirt. She stared at him as intensely as she could before she let go and his hands slid underneath her arms, rubbing her waist. His hands were warm and rough.

As awful as he was, his touch lured Dawn in and she wrapped her arms around his neck before he lay her down, his hands moving from her waist to the line of her panties. Instinctively, Dawn closed her legs together or as much as she could with Cyrus literally between them. She buried her head in the crook of his neck whilst he pulled her underwear down. He was nowhere as rough with her as she had expected but that didn’t bother her, once she was thinking about it. She hated to admit it but she had quickly grown to like the tender side of him. It was odd how much of a rollercoaster their relationship felt, how they both changed when the lights were off.

Soon he pulled back and fished for something in his pocket before he pulled a condom out. She grabbed the collar of his shirt once more, rose from the bed and pulled him into a kiss. A small wave of excitement rushed through her body as she felt herself being laid down again. It was not before Cyrus broke the kiss and parting her legs that she opened her eyes. His expression was as cold as always and she was about to make a smug remark when suddenly she could feel his fingers slip inside her. She bit her lip to stop a surprised moan escape her lips.

“Hm?”

“I’m-I’m ok…” she gasped and he continued to rub his fingers against her core. It felt so different than her hands or her toy. Dawn bit her lip harder, clenching her first into the bedsheets as she came close to climax when suddenly Cyrus pulled out of her. She was left panting and wanting for more, staring at him like he had just slapped her. However, much to her lewd joy, they quickly continued where they left off as he applied the condom. Upon looking at what would eventually be pressed between her hips, a blush crept over Dawn’s face.  It was a lot bigger than what she had ever anticipated and for a second she was struck by a flash of fear.

But a hand on her cheek assured her that nothing of the like would happen. However, she wished that he’d smile once in a while. Spreading her legs, he slowly thrust into her, pressing his entire length inside. It felt like she was being filled up; it was a mystifying sensation and although it hurt a bit, a pleasant sense soon washed over her as he thrust into her, hoisting her lower body to hit her harder.  In between pants and lewd moans, she managed to let out a mangled deviation of Cyrus’ name. She closed her eyes and let the feeling get to her, tingling all of her nerves, from the tip of her fingers to the end of her toes.

Throwing her head back, Dawn let out a cry of ecstasy as shockwaves of pleasure washed over her. Meanwhile, Cyrus kept thrusting inside of her, jittering a bit as she came down from her height. She could feel him pull out of her again, leaving her with a strange sense of emptiness. She rolled over on the side, her juices still leaking from her core, and watched him tie a knot on the condom and throw it in the trashcan before he grabbed the blanket and covered Dawn with it.

“What a gentleman you are.” The bluenette said, feeling the exhaustion creeping up on her. “I guess that’s my mother’s influence as well.”

“Happy birthday.” He said and shut off the lamp on the nightstand, casting the room in darkness, with the moon shining through the drawn curtains.

“Thanks.”

And with that, he was gone. Dawn lay awake for a short while, letting the events weight on her mind. Her nerves were still tingling after the affair. It may not had lasted for half the night but for Dawn, it was good enough. She let out a deep sigh before closing her eyes. She found it hard to sleep just like that but eventually, her body registered her tiredness and she soon fell asleep.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The clock was past 10 when Dawn woke up to the sound of rain hitting her window. _Great_ , it seemed that the deities of the weather didn’t like her either as they had decided for rain on her birthday. Her head was still groggy and she wanted to sleep a few hours more but considering how loudly her stomach was rumbling, it was not the wisest idea. She stepped out of bed and headed to the drawer where she grabbed a clean set of underwear, a sleeveless shirt, and some plain sweatpants. Her dress from yesterday and underwear still laid sprawled on the floor and she did the decent thing by picking everything up and throwing them in the laundry bin. As she grabbed her panties, flashbacks of the night’s escapades flashed before her eyes and she quickly threw them in the bin, trying to ignore the blood rushing to her face, before throwing the dress in afterward. When she thought about it, that was a rather unfair treatment of the adorable dress given to her by her mother but right now, she didn’t feel like being productive. Only 18 and feeling like 81, that was a rather tragic sign.

Once Dawn opened her bedroom door, the scent of delicious breakfast hit her nostrils and her legs began moving on their own. Soon she stood on the last step of the staircase where the Eevee greeted her.

“Hey there.” She smiled and kneeled down to pet it. By this point, it had become rather accustomed to her presence, actively begging for her to pick it up. “You sure are a cuddler.” Dawn lifted the small Pokémon up in her arms and headed to the kitchen. Yet Cyrus was nowhere to be seen.

“Good morning dear! Did you sleep well?” her mother greeted while putting eggs on two plates. She was still wearing her nightgown, the same red one that she had kept for all those years. Granted her mother managed to hold her physique fairly well, even when rounding her forties.  

“Yeah. But mom, where is Cy-Chiri?” Dawn asked whilst putting the Eevee down because her arms were tiring.

“He left early this morning. There was some business that he needed to take care of. He’ll be back in the afternoon.”

“Oh,” Dawn simply said as the gears began to turn in her head. Due to their liaisons, she was almost led to believe that he honestly came here to live a simple life and nothing more but by the news that he was doing some “business”, her suspicions began to grow once more. She grabbed a plate of eggs and bacon and headed to the kitchen table where she ate deep in thought. The Eevee headed to the living room where it curled up on the carpet and slept soundly.

After an easy-going breakfast, Dawn helped her mother with the dishes; something she so rarely did as she hated cleaned and even more so, dishes.

“I’m heading for a walk,” Dawn said, once they had finished. She was still wearing her sweatpants, not to mention she hadn’t taken a bath this morning, let alone brushed her hair. She was as raw and gross as they came. Still, she figured that fresh air to her brain would be healthy for her. So, she walked to the main entrance and grabbed her coat, her hat and her old pink boots before heading out into the coldness.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The rest of Twinleaf was still dead quiet after the events of yesterday. It gave a rather lonely and haunting feel to the small town but then again, it gave her space to think. She headed to the small pond by the end of the town and kneeled, her reflection obscured by the endless downpour. Usually, the rain didn’t bother her and she had no problem running around while it poured down but today, she had brought herself an umbrella for whatever reason. Watching the drops fall into the pond became too distracting so she stood up and exited the town, watching several Pokémon cuddle up under trees to keep themselves dry. It was a somber sight to witness.

Not surprisingly, the silence of Twinleaf extended to Sandgem as well. What a somber and depressing day to mark off Fantina’s performance. Watching people and Pokémon sonder in their homes while the rain continued to fall was melancholic at best and though Dawn’s mood had been fine for most of the day, she soon began to feel tired by it all. Still, fresh air felt like a liberation. She stopped by a small café, where a few people sat. The place was more of an inn than an actual café, housing those who’d travel from region to region and didn’t feel like paying a fortune to stay in the big cities or couldn’t afford a villa at the Trainer Resort.

However, on this melancholic day, the place was practically vacant, save for a few people. Dawn could count the number of customers on one hand. She ordered a cup of warm Milktank milk and sat down at a table near a window.

“Happy birthday!” Someone suddenly greeted her out of the blue, startling her. Turning around, she was pleased to see Lucas standing there with a huge grin on his face. Next to him, stood Professor Rowan of all people. He had aged considerably through the years although he still had the look of a wise but stern grandfather. It made Dawn wonder if he even had children, let alone grandchildren.

“Ah, thank you.” She smiled and moved her glass a little as Lucas sat down while the good professor stood there, a little awkwardly. He nodded at the youngsters, but before he could leave, he was stopped by Lucas.

“Are you going to join us, Professor?”

“Not today. I must finish some research at the lab. Besides, I wouldn’t like to ruin your date.” Rowan said and there was a quick silence before Lucas looked away, his cheeks flaming red. He then stared down at the table, fiddling nervously with his fingers. Dawn, on the other hand, felt too detached from romance to even think about finding a suitor, let alone one of her closest friends. No, her mind and body belonged elsewhere…

“Professor! That-that’s oddly mischievous of you to say.” Lucas finally said after he had regained a fraction of his composure.

“Oh, you think so? Hah, nevertheless I am a busy man after all. So long.” The good professor said before leaving the café into the endless rain. Luckily for him, the lab was located right across the street. As soon as he had left, Lucas lowered his head once more. “I’m so sorry! I don’t know what’s happening with the Professor lately. He’s been making those odd suggestions ever since you came back. Especially since I turned 18.”

“It’s perfectly fine, Lucas. I’m all right but I’m not looking to date anyone right now.” Dawn sat back in the chair and sipped her warm milk before looking out the window. However, Lucas soon began speaking again, catching her attention. “Ah, me neither actually. It’s just that I’m… I don’t know how to tell my family, let alone him that I’m…”

“Gay?” Dawn said, half-heartedly with a mischievous smile. She leaned forward, staring him in an attempt to rile him up. Lucas blinked for a couple of seconds before his face turned red once more and he looked down, a sheepish smile appearing on his lips. 

“…Actually yeah.”

“Oh! Not that there’s anything wrong with that.”

“Hahaha…” Lucas let out a nervous smile before he looked up, that nervous grin still plastered on his face. “You think so?”

Dawn nodded eagerly, giving a reassuring smile to the young man in front of him. This seemed to calm Lucas down and he sighed deeply before looking out the window with ease.

“I’m happy for your acceptance. I’ll get by, some way or another.”

“It sure is quiet in between towns. Did people get _that_ shitfaced?” Dawn asked before drinking the last of her milk. The warmth stirred pleasantly in her stomach.

“Probably. But you know, I think it’s quite nice. Things have changed since you and I left. I didn’t really notice it until I came back and my sister pointed it out.” Lucas said as he twirled his thumps around, deep in thought.

“Really? How so?”

“Err… People are, how do I put this, more paranoid. I mean, there have been rumors of strangers running around at night here and in the smaller, nearby towns. People suspected that it was punks from Jubilife but crime rates have gone up exponentially. According to rumors, Team Galactic is back at it again.”

“Team Galactic you say?” Dawn asked, more intrigued than she ever wanted to be. She felt her heart sink to the pit of her stomach and stared emptily at the empty cup and she struggled to find the proper words for the inevitable confrontation with Cyrus. It left a bad taste in her mouth. Here, she had hoped that he didn’t lie straight to her face and bring mortal danger to everyone around him but now, she wasn’t so sure anymore…

Sure, he had given up leadership to Saturn when he disappeared into the Distortion World but it had been seven years since then and a lot of things could change.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Johanna had gone out shopping, which left Dawn plenty of freedom to do some investigation. With a heavy heart, she ignored the etiquette of knocking and simply opened the door to Cyrus’ house. A low growling came from the kitchen and Eevee came running towards her until it looked up and realized that it was just Dawn. Its expression grew soft and it rubbed his legs against her legs, begging to be picked up. As she stood and petted the Pokémon a low voice greeted her; “It is not fond of people barging in. Neither am I.”

Sighing Dawn put it down on the floor again before facing Cyrus. It irked Dawn how devoid of life his eyes were, considering what had happened yesterday. Did he really not see her as anything else but a living fleshlight?

“Right. But, we need to talk. About all that recent crime and stuff.” The bluenette said, hiding her disappointment behind a mask of seriousness as she walked over to Cyrus with weary steps.

“So you have heard.” He simply said and turned away, heading towards the kitchen with the Eevee and Dawn hastily following him. “Yeah, and something tells me that you’d know what’s going on.”

“In fact, I do not.”

“Look, I’m not gonna… turn you over or some shit but if the region is in danger, I at least have the right to know so I can do some damage control.” Dawn insisted, wondering how many of her words were true. When the idea of turning Cyrus in to Looker rose, a sudden hesitation prompted her to stop and shoo that thought away. She had every intention of solving this mystery, however. Yet, Cyrus remained quiet, neglecting to answer her.

“Lucas told me that it was Team Galactic. You know, your own band of misfit nihilistic children.”

“I handed leadership over to Saturn while I stayed in the Distortion World for six years so whatever has happened since then is beyond me,” Cyrus said as he filed a water bowl and put it on the floor for the little Pokémon.

“Why did you do that by the way? How did you even survive?” Dawn leaned closer to Cyrus, staring intently at him whilst pushing the memories of last night away. If he saw any hints of weakness from her sight, this whole mission was done for.

“The Distortion world, if exposed to it for a long period of time, can greatly change your physiology. I believe you see it as well.”

“That didn’t answer my question but now that you mention it, you look no older than when I last saw you and you were….” The bluenette crossed her arms and leaned against the kitchen counter.

“Twenty-seven.”

“So you’re thirty-six now. You look not a day older than thirty.”

“Then you can probably put two and two together.”

Dawn rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “...So, you’re like immortal now? You found the magic to eternal youth and life?”

“All it really does are cosmetic changes. However, they come with a prize.” Finally, he turned to look at her but something was off. Something was very wrong indeed. Stoic as always, Cyrus had no qualms about the blood that suddenly began pouring out of his nose.

“Y-y-you’re bleeding!”

“I am aware of that. I’ve managed to conceal it whenever I am in public.”  He said nonchalantly as he fetched some tissues and stopped the bleeding.

“What?”

“It happens at random, with various levels of bleeding. I’ve come to believe that it’s a side-effect of my body reacting to the exposure of the Distortion world. After all, it wasn’t meant for humans.”

“S-so am I gonna start bleeding too?”

“There is a difference between a few hours and half a decade. You should be fine.”

That didn’t calm Dawn down as much as she had hoped for but there were more pressing issues at hand. Like how and why Cyrus did this to himself. It was no secret that he was a misanthropist nihilist but did that include suicidal too?

“Ok… but now you gotta tell me why the hell you stayed there for so long?!”

“Research.”

“That’s it? That’s bullshit and you know it.” Dawn frowned deeply but tried to keep her cool. But her displeasure was obvious and she made no attempt to hide it.

“That’s all I’m able to tell.”

“Wha-why?”

“For the safety of you and your mother.”

That shut the bluenette up but she was far from satisfied. Silent as the grave, she walked back into the living room and angrily sat down on the couch as Cyrus followed soon after.

“You should enjoy your birthday instead.” He said sternly, which only fueled Dawn’s frustrations more. She looked sharply at him but he simply ignored before returning to the kitchen to get a clean tissue. As things were now, she would not get much out of him so with a heavy heart, she simply left the little house. She was too angry to even say goodbye or anything really before leaving.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

The second Dawn stepped into her house, she was sprayed with confetti and a crowd of people shouting “Surprise!!” once she managed to brush away the confetti. In the middle of the living room stood, her mother alongside Barry and Lucas alongside a few of the townsfolk. Surprisingly Cynthia was there as well. They all surrounded her as she stood dumbfounded, trying to grasp the moment. A hand on her shoulder brought Dawn back to reality and she found herself looking directly at the former Champion.

“Hello. How is our champion doing?” Cynthia asked with a calm smirk on her face. It was adulating that Cynthia of all people would even consider an invitation to her birthday party let alone come. The bluenette tried to control the wide smile that had crept over her face. It felt like such a long time since she had smiled for real not to mention the frustrations from earlier soon left her body.

“Aaaah you flatter me but I’m doing all right.”

“Yeah, she’s tough but she won’t stay champion of Sinnoh for too long!” Barry interrupted before he swung an arm around Dawn’s shoulder. “But for the time being, I’ll let her keep the title.”

“Barry, don’t be such a brute towards the birthday child.” Lucas pulled at the blonde, dragging Dawn with him as the three of them struggled to stay on their feet.

“Now everyone, I spent this entire morning baking this cake. Please make yourself at home and grab a slice while you’re at it.” Johanna existed the kitchen with a heavily decorated blue and pink cake with candles, bows and cream puffs. Truly, one slice of that would press at least ten pounds onto her body. Still, it looked luscious and beyond gorgeous. Dawn was however convinced that her mother didn’t bake it but she didn’t hold it against her. Johanna hated baking and said genes had been passed down apparently because Dawn hated cooking in general.

All the guests flocked to the delicious dessert to get a slice of the cake, that just happened to be filled with chocolate on the inside. As people served themselves generous portions, Dawn made sure that there was something left for Cyrus. He probably deserved a slice after all, even if he had the amazing ability to piss her off endlessly.

“So, have you found a boyfriend yet?” Cynthia asked as she proceeded to eat unnaturally small pieces of her thin slice. Dawn averted her eyes from the blonde’s plate and immediately felt guilty as she realized that her slice was three times bigger.

“Nah, I don’t think I was meant to love.”

“That’s an interesting way of putting asexuality.”

“Well, I’m not…. I guess.” No, Dawn was certainly not asexual, that was clear as day; especially after her adventures last night.  The conversation fizzled out into other subjects as Lucas felt the urge to debate with Cynthia, the difference between asexual and aromantic. Meanwhile, the rest of the party went by rather uneventfully but pleasant nonetheless. It had been a while since Dawn had felt this at ease during a social gathering.

After the guests had left, Dawn and her mother went to clean dishes and saving the cake. There was still a fair amount of it left and although it was very delicious, Dawn could feel the calories invade her tights just by looking at it. She quickly wrapped the leftovers in tinfoil and shoved it in the fridge before returning to her mother’s side.

“Dawn,” Johanna suddenly begin, her serious tone catching Dawn off guard.

“Yeah?”

“…What would you say if I married Chiri?”

Dawn blinked for a couple of seconds before feeling a gut-wrenching sense of disgust, wash over her. The feeling was strong enough to make her heart skip a beat before her cheeks flared up in a brief moment of anger.

“What?! Has he proposed?!” She asked in disbelief.

“Oh no, he hasn’t. If I have to be honest, I don’t think the thought has ever crossed his mind, But I enjoy his company and well, a father figure would be nice for the both of us, don’t you-“

“No.” Dawn cut her mother off, mid-sentence with the hardest rejection she had ever made in a long time. Her voice was far from loud or shrill but her tone was hard and ice cold, enough to shake her mother, who had a wounded look in her eyes. Johanna looked away for a second with regret written all over her features as it occurred to Dawn what had just happened and she felt a crushing sense of guilt.

“I’m sorry. I just…” The bluenette looked dawn, feeling the guilt eating away at her. “Don’t let me dictate your happiness.”

“No, no, it’s fine honey. I understand that you’re weary after what your father did.”

‘Weary’ was an understatement. And him leaving was the best thing, he ever did for his family. His existence only brought pain and sorrow nothing else. But Dawn didn’t hold it against her mother for being lonely; after all, she had given up her career as a coordinator for him so she could make a family and be a good wife, all for his sake, and then the fucker ended up leaving, abandoning a heartbroken Johanna and a broken Dawn. Her mother was never quite the same in the years that followed even if she regained most of her confidence but Dawn… the memories kept looming over her, everywhere she went, only leaving her after she left the entire region. He had broken her beyond repair but there was no way, she could tell her mother that. Not when it had been so many years since then certainly not when she loved him so. Surely there was no doubt that she’d believe her daughter but did she really need more heartbreak in her life?

More importantly, Dawn now had to talk with Cyrus about yet another sore point in her mess of a life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am planning on releasing new Pokémon stories, that I will work on whenever I reach a writer's block for this one. I hope you do not mind minor characters being put into the spotlight.   
> Also, the "explanation" that Cyrus gives is nowhere as shallow as presented here. The truth will be revealed in due time.


	5. Stormfront

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, we are picking up the pace in terms of plot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, it has been way too long, has it not, dear readers?

Once done with today’s dishes, Dawn grabbed a coat, some old slippers and stormed over to Cyrus’ house. Furious, she hammered on the door and the sound of keys turning locks opening followed soon after. After a little while, Cyrus’ face appeared in the crack of the door but before he could open the door for her, Dawn barged in and slammed the door behind her. Before he could even think of asking what her problem was, Dawn hissed; “Excuse me! Did you try to fuck my mom?!”

“What on Earth are you screeching about?” Cyrus asked, unfazed by Dawn’s wrath. Behind him, the Eevee quickly ran into hiding.

“You! Sleeping with my mom!” Dawn stepped up eerily close to Cyrus’ face, her eyes staring daggers.

“I never did. What makes you say that?”

“Oh, I don’t know! Maybe because she talked to me about fucking marrying you!”

“…So it is as I thought.” Only then did Cyrus move to adjust his many locks on the door.

“So you knew?!”

“I had a feeling. Her body language told something.”

As much as Dawn hated to admit it, that made eerily much sense. She could not help but notice how touchy she was with Cyrus, always letting her hand rest on his shoulder among other small gestures that he did pick up on after all. Not to mention how happy her mother was for his company. Dawn’s mother had always been outgoing but her mannerism around Cyrus suggested other things… other gross things.

“You know, she asked me what I thought of it.”

“I suppose that explains your hissy fit from earlier. If it makes you happy for me to say this, let it be known that I don’t view your mother the same way. For me, she’s merely a friend and if even if I did have interest in her, I cannot stand the thought of marriage. Or romance for that matter.”

Not surprising that those words would come out of the mouth of someone, who grew up only loving the company of machines over that of humans. But it did calm her down somewhat, more than she was willing to admit.

“Huh, that’s interesting. So, what am I to you then?” She scoffed.

“Love and lust are two different things.”

“So I’m your fuckbuddy. Whatever. I can live with that.” Dawn said with a half-hearted laugh. Then again, she didn’t expect anything resembling human emotion from Cyrus. She shrugged her shoulders, not really able to stay angry at him any longer. After all, she got what she asked for and she heard what she needed to know.

“There’s cake at the house for you. Be happy that I wanted to share it with you, considering how much you can piss me off at times.”

“Have you considered the possibility that you have an uncharismatic temper?” Cyrus asked, picking the little Eevee up after it had crawled out of its cover.

“…I know that. But that doesn’t make _you_ less infuriating.” The blunette retorted back as she prepared -to leave. She realized that she had many more snide comments to spit at him, but she was certain that nothing would really draw a reaction out of him. Sure, Cyrus knew basic courtesy but he had a top-class poker face, hiding his emotion behind an iron wall, guarded by a seeming contempt for humanity.

Dawn marched back home and continued to barricade herself in her room, watching television, for an hour or so before voices downstairs caught her attention. She could have spent time with her mother but Johanna had been running around for most of the day, before and after the party. Supposedly, she had been trying to occupy herself when her daughter had been traveling for seven years and there was no one to take care of in the house anymore.

But now, with Cyrus in the picture, it would seem that she had found purpose in life again, horrifying as it was to Dawn. Watching her mother act like a Mewoth in heat left a bad taste in her mouth.

“Chiri! What a pleasant surprise! There’s cake for you in the fridge. I’ll fetch you a plate so just make yourself at home!” Johanna exclaimed gleefully as her hasty footsteps could be heard hammering against the staircase. Her mother came bursting through the door and quickly made way for Dawn, who had her ass planted on her floor, in front of the TV.

“Dawn, I’ve been asked to aid Barry’s mom in some preparations for an event at the Trainer School. Please take care of our guest until I come back. It won’t take long.” Johanna said before giving her daughter a pat on the head before doing a heel turn and hurrying downstairs with Dawn following her. It was hard not to notice the signs of affection, her mother gave Cyrus, especially after he had pointed it out following her mother’s question.  It left a gross feeling over Dawn’s body, even when the whole thing was one-sided.

Soon, Johanna hurried out the door, leaving Dawn and Cyrus alone in the house. The bluenette sat down on the chair, her mouth drooling by the slice of cake, uneaten cake, on the plate. For whatever reason, Cyrus had not taken a single bite but instead stared suspiciously at Dawn, looking as if he was about to interrogate her. An uncomfortable silence layered over the dinner table before he finally broke the silence with an even more unpleasant topic. “I found a picture of a man in the study. I presume, he is the reason why that room leaves you so emotional.”

 _Drat_ , he ransacked the place, didn’t he?

“I don’t appreciate you trying to do a background check on me but yeah, sure, fine. He was an asshole and I’m happy that’s he gone, doing… whatever the fuck he’s doing with his pathetic life. If he’s even alive, that is.”

“Your father?” Cyrus was a smart bastard.

“He doesn’t deserve to be called a man, much less a father. He hasn’t earned that and I’d be dammed if he does.”

“I presume he left.”

“Don’t you know that assumption is the mother of all fuck-ups? Anyways, yes. And good riddance. Also,” Dawn pointed at the plate. “Are you gonna eat that?”

Without answering or even looking away, Cyrus jabbed his fork through the cake and took a small piece. His eyes narrowed a bit, almost as if he didn’t like Dawn watching him eat. Yeah, no, he would not receive the pleasure of bending her to his will so defiant as she was, she kept staring. It occurred to her how much of a slow eater as he was, it was almost painful. The thing was that he never did so whenever he had dinner with her mother; it was almost as if he was mocking her.

“About your misadventures in the Distortion World… you didn’t want to tell me anything because you were trying to protect me and my mom apparently. But why? I mean, it’s not like we’re gonna go hiking there or anything. Is there some sort of secret treasure or something?”

“No. There is nothing of substance there. The issue, however, is not with the Distortion World itself but…” he paused.

“Me.”

“So, my mom and I became subsequently guilty by association. That explains why you got your million locks on your door. I guess it also explains why you tried to drive my mother away from you and failed.” Dawn said, leaned over the table. She could feel her breasts rest against the table and had a feeling that Cyrus may have stared at her cleavage, a feeling that excited her.

“You are correct.”

“Why change your mind about spilling the beans so soon?”

“Consider it payback for me figuring out a few correct facts about you,” Cyrus answered and Dawn wasn’t entirely sure if he was congratulating or patronizing her.

“Huh. Well then, answer me this. Why come to Twinleaf? Why not go to a big city where you can blend in?”

“Because no one targets the smaller cities. The fewer people that know about my existence, the better.”

Dawn remembered what Lucas had told her about the crime rates. She was well aware that Cyrus was not an idiot but that did not excuse him delusions like that. Granted Lucas had never specified where exactly punks were stirring up trouble so there was a probability that Twinleaf remained somewhat safe. For now.

“Yet, you barely leave your house.”

“I will admit that I have grown soft towards your mother but she was a miscalculation, nosy as she is.”

Silence entered the house for a couple of moments before Dawn, although with hesitation, asked her next question. She had a feeling that this hadn’t much to do with Team Galactic’s revival but perhaps it could shed light on the enigma that was Cyrus. Despite what she been told on her travels, Dawn knew very little about Cyrus as a person and it was not like he was gonna open up and talk about his feelings anytime soon.

“Who’s Natsumi? I found it on the collar of your Eevee but I doubt that’s its name since I have not seen you refer to it as such once.”

“ _Mitsumi_ ” Cyrus suddenly blurted out, snapping his lips shut as if he had said something he was not supposed to. In a way, it amused Dawn to see that she had found one of his weak points, giving her an advantage for once.

“Ok? So, who is Mitsumi?” She asked gleefully.

And then, in a split second, an unfamiliar darkness hovered over his face almost as if he was ready to jump over the table and strangle her right then and there. Still, he kept motionless, his eyes locked with hers in a manner that scared the living crap out of Dawn.

“No one.” He said in a monotonous tone, heavily tinted with restrained anger, that ever so heavily contrasted against his calm pose.

“Forget I asked,” Dawn said, swallowing a lump and sat up straight, looking down to escape the ice-cold glare.

“Yes. Let us do that.” Cyrus responded, this time much calmer. Dawn looked up and noticed that the terrifying darkness that had crept over his face disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

She had a few more insults to throw his way but the way that he had reacted made her weary, to say the least. So even he had some demons he wanted to keep hidden. Dawn found it somewhat unfair that he had been snooping around, looking into her privacy whereas he had reacted like an angry toddler when she had brought up something from his past but she made a mental note to pry for information if he eventually found out what her father had done to her. This meant that she may have to face this sudden wrath from Cyrus but it was a risk, she was willing to take, she believed.

As soon as her mother had returned, Dawn has bolted from the house, grabbing her bike on the way. It had been a while since Dawn had gone bicycle riding without a care in the world but today was no such day. She had no idea where she was going but getting some air through her hair was a nice feeling. It soon hit her how far, she had biked when she found herself on the road to Jubilife City. The place was lively as always but Dawn had no objectives here. So she prepared to head home when she noticed a tiny tent near two fountains. There was a sign outside with the words “DISCOVER YOUR FUTURE TODAY”.

Dawn frowned, not sure if she wanted to believe whatever mumbo-jumbo this person had to say. But she was curious and thus entered through the small entrance. Inside, a woman with long messy hair, dressed in robes of several mismatching colors, sat with a crystal ball and a Spiritomb in the corner, glowing menacingly. Some unnerving noises emerged from it when it noticed Dawn enter. The woman looked up from her crystal with a small smirk while she let her hands hover over the ball.

“Are you a fortune teller?” Dawn asked and wondered why she even bothered. This woman was the embodiment of every generic, stereotypical mystic.

“So I am. Would you like to know what the future holds for you?” she asked. The woman’s voice was raspy and low, but held the softness of an elderly woman, despite being no older than Dawn’s mother.

“Yeah, sure, why not?” Dawn sat down on the little stool and searched through her purse to pay the fortune teller, who proceeded to light some incense sticks, filing the little tent with a weird sweet smell. The fortune teller gleefully stuffed the money in her pocket and sat down across the round table and began moving her hands over the crystal ball. Suddenly the pale blue light shifted into a murky grey mixed with a tint of pitch black.

Then the Pokémon began screeching with more unpleasant noses and the woman nodded as if agreeing with it. A frown formed on her face.

“Yes, yes, you are right, unfortunately. This one does not look too well.”

Suddenly the crystal ball turned black and Dawn sat by the edge of her seat, more intrigued than she wanted to admit. She folded her hands in her lap and leaned over the table, her gaze alternating between the black glass and the concerned fortune teller.

“Tragedy will strike, chaos will ensure and ghosts from the past will come back to haunt the present. “

Dawn sank nervously. “Wh-what else?”

To her shock or rather, horror, the crystal ball suddenly shifted into an intense, demonic red; evil faces twisted in torment formed in the foggy mass. More eerily, the Spiritomb remained silent, instead opting to stare at Dawn.

Eternities disguised as seconds passed with the red crystal ball continuing to glow and the fortune teller remaining silent. Suddenly, she stopped, sighing deeply as the ball turned back to its soft blue. However, as she began speaking, Dawn shuttered at how grave her voice was.

“People will die because of you. I understand that you may want to ask me about preventing this. However…” the woman said and placed a hand on the table. She gestured for Dawn to take it.

“Have faith, child. There is always light and rewards for those who endure the worst.”

Dawn simply nodded. She could become her naturally defiant self and remind the woman that such sentiments were wishful thinking. That there simply was no justice in this world and no rewards for those who had endured pain.  She had come to realize that many years ago when _he_ had left the house.

\----

When Dawn returned home, she was pleased to find her mother in the kitchen, preparing dinner. The words of the fortune teller echoed through her mind and made her sick to her stomach so the smell of home soothed her. She clenched her fists whilst struggling for words. It was not until her mother said her name that Dawn returned to the present. She gave a meek smile and cursed herself for not asking for more details

That said, why do that? That woman had taken her money and tried to suck more out of her by spewing a bunch of doomsday nonsense. No, there was no tragedy to come, no deaths, no unwanted assholes coming back to haunt her. It was all just a trick to get her riled up. Yes, so it was.

But why couldn’t she let go of that feeling that something horrible waited around the corner?

“Dear, are you alright?” Johanna asked with a worried look. Her apron was stained with all kinds of colors; most likely goods for Pokémon and dinner for today. The kitchen had a nice fragrance, that made Dawn’s mouth water. She nodded, and her mom smiled warmly.

“You’ve always been going out so early since coming home. It’s nice to see you up and about.”

Dawn shrugged and sat directly on the dinner table. It creaked a little under her weight, not at all used to the now adult body instead of little ten-year-old Dawn.  

“Well, you like Chiri’s company so I didn’t want to pry.” She said, forcing a smile.

Her mother’s face turned bright red as she fumbled with her fingers. It left a little trail of gunk in the pit of Dawn’s stomach; it would almost have been cute if the object of affection wasn’t Cyrus of all people.

“Ah, that doesn’t mean we can’t hang out together. Like tonight!” Joanna responded with delight. She washed her hands and put the apron away. She still had some flour in her hair, something she remained oblivious to as it would seem that Dawn’s comment had made her

“Sure, can we just watch a movie?”

“Of course! What would you like?”

“Something funny. Lighthearted.”

“Mm, how about a Wailord And His Skitty?”

“Right,” Dawn nodded and hopped down from the table, where she headed to the living room and the television. Under the TV, there was the old collection of movies. A layer of grey dust suggested that her mother no longer watched these films, not since Dawn had left the house. She let her finger trail across the backs of the DVDs until she found the movie. The cover had a Wailord sailing across the ocean with a Skitty in a frumpy wedding dress.

Her mother fixed up some snacks whilst Dawn prepared the movie and the rest of the night evolved into a movie night. Dawn wondered however if she should tell her mother about the fortune teller. That dark feeling from before troubled her more than she should and yet she kept quiet, praying to Arceus that she wouldn’t regret it later in life.

\----

“Tell me, do you believe in fate?” Dawn asked while combing the fur of the Eevee. It looked at her with a twinkle in its eye, each time she had finished with an area of its body.

 “No.” she heard Cyrus say, as deadpan as ever.

“A fortune teller said that people would die for me.”

“And you believed them? There is no such thing as fate. It’s the scientific way or the high way.”

“If you say so…” Dawn muttered, unsure and unconvinced. Silence hung over the kitchen table so she decided to lift the mood by switching subjects, sudden as it was-

“So what kind of woman do you like?” she said, praying that he didn’t respond with “villain, I have done thy mother”.

“None. I care nothing for romance.”

The Eevee hopped down from the kitchen table and ran off to the living room.

“Yeah, you say that. But something about me must have made you gravitate towards me. Obviously, I don’t have a charming personality and I’m a petite brat with tits too big for her body. Is it my unyielding determination?”

“No. I have no reason,”

Anything but pleased with that answer, Dawn slowly let her feet rub against the inner tights of Cyrus, to which he did not object. He simply sat there, looking stonefaced at her. She found her way to his crotch, not hesitating to press her feet against it.

This was the most perverted thing she had done in a while, and that included losing her virginity to the man in front of her. But she’d be dammed if it didn’t make her feel good. Abuse of her sexuality, teasing.

“But if you must have an answer, it is your annoying attitude.” He said all while remaining annoying apathetic. Dawn’s feet rubbed against him with more intensity, representing her frustration at his lack of giving shits.

“Can you not feel at all? Did the distortion world ruin your sense of feeling?” she spat.

“It’s called ‘masking my emotions’”

“I’d call it having none at all.”

Without warning, Cyrus suddenly rose from the table headed over to Dawn. He looked at her briefly and it occurred to her that this was his weird and honestly terrible way of asking her if she was willing.

“You’re a pervert. Dare I say, even more, fucking depraved than me.” She said with a half-hearted smile before getting up from her chair and heading for the living room.

“If so, you are more depraved for accepting.”

“Touché. Sex makes me forget. And feel better.” Dawn had no idea how much truth there was in that, likely very little. She pushed up down to sit and kneeled in front of him. He said nothing as she proceeded to unzip his pants and pull out his half-flaccid cock out. That rubbing wasn’t entirely useless after all.

She slowly stroke the shaft, smirking to herself when it hardened in her hands. She felt like such a harlot, despite this being her first time doing a thing like this. Dawn took a deep breath before wrapping her lips around him, bopping her head up and down. It was fleshy and soft, yet hard and warm. It tasted weird and his pubic hair tickled her nose whenever she lowered his head.

And it smelled of him, oh, how it smelled of him. _Ugh_ , she liked his smell.

Dawn heard deep breathing from above her and hurried her pace, letting her hands rest on his thighs. A salty, sticky substance suddenly entered her mouth. It had a sour taste, like moly lemons sprinkled with salt. Cyrus’ thighs hardened under her palms until they finally relaxed again and Dawn got up. She hurried to the kitchen sink and cleaned her mouth.

“Ew, what have you been eating?” she turned to face him, a little shocked at the sudden blood that dripped from his nostrils.

 “Your mother’s cooking.”

Dawn scoffed, not sure if it was a euphemism or him being a general asshole who dared to shit on her mother’s food. She glared at him and left the house.

The sun struggled to break free of grey clouds as Dawn ventured home. There were noticeably many people on the streets, all huddled in groups. They were dressed in raincoats and remained unnaturally quiet. Their presence was all kinds of creepy, so she hurried away, hoping that they wouldn’t notice her.

“Excuse me, miss.” A voice said behind her and she turned around without a word. _Curses_. A woman stood before her. She had deep blue eyes and looked no older than Dawn. In fact, she looked distressingly like Dawn.

“Is this Twinleaf?” she asked a little nervously and fiddled with a long lock of green hair.

“Yes.” Dawn said coldly and pointed towards the sign near the entrance to the town. The woman gasped and apologized for being so oblivious. Before Dawn could say anything else, she quickly ventured deeper into town, without a thank you or anything. Regardless of such rudeness, Dawn thought little of it and hurried home.

\--------

Today’s news spoke of higher crime rates through the radio and a frown emerged on Joanna’s face. “What a time to be alive. I wonder what is happening to the world.”

Dawn simply shrugged and stabbed a meatball with her fork. Sudden yelling outside, alarmed her mother and she got up from the chair to peek outside. “What the-“ she was cut off by a violent knocking on the door. Dawn and her mother sat motionlessly in the kitchen and starred at the door while the knocking continued. Soon it was replaced by violent thuds that made it seem like someone tried to kick the door down.

“Dawn, hide upstairs!” Her mother commanded but before Dawn could move, the door went flew up, coming loose of its hinges. To everyone’s horror, a group of people stormed the house with what looked to be firearms. The type, which had been banned across all the regions.  

They aimed them at the pair and then someone walked in behind them. A hooded figure stood before them and gestured them to lower their weapons. What disturbed Dawn was how they looked like Team Galactic members yet their uniforms were much different; inverted colors and the initials “NG” on their chests.

The hooded figure pulled down their hood and revealed the woman from earlier today.

“You!”

“Indeed. But you can call me Mitsumi.” The woman smiled coldly.

“What the fuck is going on?”

“You” Mitsumi pointed at Dawn with an accusatory stare. “You are in the way of everything.”

“What?”

“You’re an unsightly puke stain. _He_ wasn’t kidding when he said you were pretty and nothing else.”

She gave a sadistic smile before gesturing to her underlings and they took aim. In a split second, triggers were pulled and a sharp pain emerged from her neck, causing Dawn to reach out and grab the tranquilizer embedded in her skin. She pulled the needle out but the damage had already been done; her vision was beginning to blur and she felt the ground beneath her feet vanish before falling to her knees.

“Dawn!” Johanna called out amidst the drowned-out voices. She could see the blurry shape of her mother running towards her. She tried to reach her hand out but her vision blackened before she could, and she collapsed on the floor, only hearing her mother’s distant but frantic screams until everything faded…

\-------

When Dawn finally woke up again, she found herself surrounded by white. She tried sitting up but found herself hooked to several machines. Outside, it was daytime, and the sun shined peacefully through the transparent curtains. She looked around and noticed a chair with a familiar face sitting in it.

“Cyrus…?”

He said nothing, instead, he got up from the chair and walked towards her, stroking her head. He was as nonchalant as ever but there was something melancholic behind his eyes as he stroked her hair. This was very unlike him and it unnerved Dawn.

“Where’s… my mom?”  she asked, her mind trying to remember what had happened before she woke up. Cyrus’ stroking ceased, and he lifted his hand.

“She’s-“

In that second, the door flew open and Barry stormed in with Lucas and Nurse Joy struggling to keep him in control.

“YOU! You son of a bitch! You are a dead man!” the blonde shouted before jumping at Cyrus, grabbing his collar and screaming obscenities in his face with Lucas trying to pry Barry away. Cyrus, however, remained unfaced, even when a fist hit him square in his face, causing blood to pour out of his nose.

“That’s the least of your punishment, you hear me? You murderer!”

“Barry, please!” Lucas pleaded to no avail while Joy was busy on the phone talking to someone, most likely security. Before Barry could go for another hit, two big burly men entered the hospital room and grabbed the blonde by the arms and dragged him outside while he kicked and struggled to get free.

“Lucas. What’s going on?”

Lucas hesitated. He looked briefly at Cyrus before returning his gaze to Dawn. “Your mother, she’s…” he´ stopped before continuing with a heavy sigh.

“She’s...”

A nurse entered the room and lay a hand on a hesitant Lucas’ shoulder.

“Do you want to see your mother?” she asked, and Dawn nodded. She was helped out of bed by the nurse and given a stand to her IV. Joy looked at Cyrus and Lucas, gesturing them to wait here meanwhile. The nurse took her to another hospital room down the hall. Her body felt like lead the entire way; so weak and tired. The little hospital room was filled with machines and other contraptions that remained hooked into her Joanna. Her hair was tousled over the pillow and her hairclip gone. Her skin was unnaturally pale.

“Your mother was wounded severely in the siege two days ago… we had to put her on life support.”

“She’s-she’s gonna be fine, right?”

The nurses looked at each other with grave expressions before one gained the courage to speak. “Unfortunately, there’s little we can do. She’s been declared brain dead.”

The news felt like a punch to the gut and Dawn could only shake her head in disbelief. Her gaze altered between her mother and the nurses. She wanted to scream in their faces and jump over the bed to pull out the plugs and free her mother from this hell. Something, anything to assure her that this was just a lie.

But she couldn’t.

Instead, she gave up trying to stop the tears and thusly fell to her knees, wailing loudly. All the anguish poured out from the streams across her cheeks. It hurt, it hurt so very much. Loneliness was one of the feelings, Dawn hadn’t felt in her miserable life until now. Her only family in this world gone in the blink of an eye all because she failed to protect them.

\---------------

It rained the entire time, that day. The day of the funeral. It had rained since the morning and rained again during the eulogies. It rained just as much as the guests crying. Everyone except for Dawn, who, as the only known family, was seated alone in the front rows. She hung her head low and drowned out the voices of crying, whispers, eulogies, everything but the sound of heavy rain.

Several attendees put flowers on the grave and gave their condolences, including Professor Rowan and even Cynthia, who had caught wind of the terrible news. Afterward, they had headed to the graveyard and lowered the coffin into the hole as her mother’s favorite song played in the background. It was from a contest in Alola.

What was it called…”From Alola With Love”?

Watching dirt being thrown on the coffin hurt more than anything she had experienced in her life. She grabbed the edges of her dress to prevent herself from screaming at them to stop so she could jump into the dirt and cry out for forgiveness. To open up the coffin and see her mother sleeping. Simply sleeping. She could pull her out and they could go back to the house and watch movies together and wake up in the morning and pretend this never happened. That all of this was one nightmare.

But of course, as life would have it, it was never a nightmare. Only the cruelty of reality. 


	6. Grey

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter has been somewhat shortened and it is a change that I feel inclined to keep in future chapters.

In the days that followed the funeral, the town of Twinleaf had gone quiet and depressed, feeling like a weight of guilt pressing down on Dawn she tried to go about being a functioning adult. She had inherited all of her mother’s assets, which included the house. Still, she had been temporarily banned from going there due to an investigation on the siege. She learned over the days that whatever had happened that night affected many. During this time, she had been offered temporarily solace and a home with Lucas’ family.

Yet the one person whom she wanted to see the most, no matter how much she hated to admit it, was nowhere to be seen. She saw Cyrus for the last time when he left a bouquet of flowers on Joanna’s grave after everyone had left the funeral only to leave again when she tried to confront him. And then he had vanished. His house had been locked down and then sold. His absence left a hole inside her chest and she remembered how horrible loneliness felt.

She had woken up one day to Lucas’ mother standing over her with Barry in tow, who wanted to talk to her. She had not spoken to him since his outburst in the hospital. Likely because everything got so awkward when they saw each other. Neither of them had the courage to speak to the other. Until now, that was. They had strolled in silence to the nearest lake where Barry sat on the ground, oblivious to the cold or anything really. He stared emptily at the lake, occasionally throwing pebbles at it. “I’m sorry about your mom… and how I acted.”

“It’s fine.” No, it wasn’t. Dawn was far from fine, she just didn’t any more tears to shed. She knelt next to him, staring at the many ripples in the water. “Why did you accuse my neighbor?”

“I was on my way home when the riots started. I saw him standing in the streets with all those guys and that green-haired girl. Fuck if I knew what they talked about but she seemed pretty into him and he basically told her to fuck off.”

Silence occurred between them once more. Dawn didn’t want to think that Cyrus had something to do with the siege. He seemed genuinely surprised over what had happened and paid his respects to her mother. Despite what a jerk he was, it was none too hard to believe that he cared immensely, something Dawn only realized when it was too late.

“Do you think… I should have stayed away? If I never came home, would mom still be alive?”

“No. don’t say that. You know, your mom kept talking about how she’d like to see you again. You made her happy by coming back home to her.”

Dawn looked at him, her eyes starting to sting. She spoke softly. “I want to believe that. But I can’t…”

“I don’t blame you. But no one could have predicted that. It literally happened out of nowhere. Suddenly those people were there and they started summoning Pokémon to attack people and burn down houses. It sucks.”

Barry reached for her hand, clasping it firmly. He looked as if he wanted to say something to the silently sobbing Dawn but instead, he offered his support, in silent solidarity and she leaned her head against his shoulder, letting the tears fall.

* * *

 While Dawn was away, it was decided that she deserved to get away for a bit, instead of living in the town next to where her mother had been killed. Funded by Lucas, his family Barry and Professor Rowan, she was to be sent to the other end of Sinnoh, the resort areas.

Many villagers had gone there to catch a break from all the violence and whatnot and now, it was Dawn’s turn. She was not sure when she’d return or what she’d do once she was there but being away from Littleroot until the investigations had concluded. If they wanted to interrogate her, they were welcome to find her there. For now, being away from it seemed like a good idea.

Standing outside the large villa felt more daunting than she imagined. Perhaps because of the idea of her living in such a large villa. Her heart sank a little when she saw the name on the mailbox, this place belonged to her mother. Curses, she had traveled all the way here to get reminded of what she lost once more?

She cursed Rowan for directing here.

With a heavy heart, Dawn pushed the door open and was met with a fistful of dust. She coughed and waved the dust away, letting the door stay open for fresh air to get in. As she walked around to inspect, it became increasingly apparent that her mother hadn’t been here for years. This was going to be a pain but it had to be done.

After a couple of hours, Dawn had finally cleaned the place and it looked reasonably neat. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and plumped down in the couch in the living room. Her sighs echoed throughout the large space and she felt so tiny all of a sudden. She made a mental note to remember groceries before she eventually drifted off, her body sliding onto the seat of the couch.

_She found herself in the middle of a house, large and clean, too clean. Like a porcelain world. It was filled with furniture, suited for a child’s room. She looked outside the window, where nothing but darkness resided. A persistent crying throughout the house. She got up and walked over to the closest door, hoping she could find a way out. She entered a room, stopping as rivers of blood submerged her to her ankles._

_“My adorable princess girl. Don’t tell your mother about our little secret. After all, you belong to me and me only, right Dawn?”_

_A ghostly shape emerged from thin air in front of her,  with white hollow eyes. It smiled at her, holding its hands out to her._

_“I’m the only one who can love you and make you feel whole. He can’t. Isn’t that true, Dawn?”_

“Dawn.”

She woke up with a jump, frantically scanning the room for the sources of the voice calling her. And she spotted him, standing in the doorway of the villa. It had not been that long since she saw him last and yet, it felt like eons had passed since their last encounter.

“I…” she was wordless, her thoughts and emotions falling over themselves to reach her lips in coherent structures. So painful and so confusing that she couæn’t do much except crying bitterly. Cyrus said nothing, instead of entering the house and sitting down next to her, looking at her while she wept. Even she was surprised over there being any tears left.

 “The siege-Barry-you knew-“ Dawn spoke in between sobs, feeling a merciless aching in her head take over. Quickly, he made way for the couch and sat down next to her. She noted how he was dressed like a postman, complete with a scarf and a cap that hid his identity well. Had he not said her name, she would never have guessed it was him.

“I went outside, trying to stop them. Indeed I knew them. They are the reason why I relocated to Twinleaf. And I am the reason why they attacked.”

“What should I do?” She asked, almost in a whisper.

“Nothing. This isn’t your fight.”

She wanted to remind him of her feats, of her defeating him and saving the world. If she could quell the passions of those who wished the universe harm, dispel the tools for such chaos and come out on top as the region’s finest, surely she could find and defeat a couple of rioters. A wave of sudden anger surged within her, fueled by her mother’s untimely end and a dark desire for desire; a desire to see those guilty at her mercy. And she wasn’t so sure that she’d grant them that.

Cyrus must have sensed it too as he put a hand on her shoulder, bringing her out of her angered plotting. “You’re in no position to take them on. And even if you were, it would only end badly for you, should you insert yourself in this. I caused it, so I’ll be the one to clean this up. I realize this now.”

He spoke as apathetically as ever, yet his voice was tinted with something else; remorse and guilt. She began questioning her previous assumptions about his relationship with her mother; losing a friend was a hard reality for anyone. Losing family was just as hard. Dawn knew she was unable to sit back and let Cyrus take care of the whole ordeal. Closure and resolution were needed and it was something, only she could bring.

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take. I got nothing to lose now.”

He raised a brow at her. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. Now tell me everything.”

“In due time. For now, you have some wounds that need healing.” That annoyed her more than it should. There were so many questions, Dawn wanted answers for and she did not feel like guessing riddles or wait until Cyrus would tell her what was going on. And yet, she had no choice for now. He wasn’t joking when he said that raw wounds still needed a lot of healing. Everything that reminded Dawn of her mother felt like salt being rudded into the gaping, bleeding void that had been Joanna’s presence.

The day slowly crawled to the edges of evening. Dawn spent hours sitting around in the house, watching television or staring emptily into the ceiling. She would occasionally think back to her encounter with the fortune teller and how true the prophecy turned out to be. Or her mind would wander back to her vivid dreams and the demonic shadow that spoke to her. She could have sworn, she’d heard that voice before but when she searched deeper for answers, she came out emptyhanded and shuddering. She felt nauseous when she thought about it but she could not explain why.

Cyrus would come and go, easing into his role as a postman while checking up on her. ‘Watching her mental health’ he called it. His precaution bordered on arrogance she thought. Like he was her father, or worse; her psychologist. Still, his presence was fleeting at best and outright phantom-like at worst. It saddened her, she could use his company; she could use him using her body so that she’d forget. No talking, no sieges, just the two of them for an hour.

And yet, she was sitting here alone and depressed, staring at the seamless colors flashing across the tv screen with voices talking loudly, yet their words were a muddled mess. Outside the voices of the world around her ceased to amount into anything other than white noise. Far into nighttime, Cyrus finally arrived and stayed. Dawn sat by the large kitchen table in a rather short nightgown and ate pizza when he came through the door. 

“Where’s the Eevee?”

“She took it with her.”

By ‘she’, surely he meant that green-haired bitch. Mitsumi, Dawn figured. But it made her wonder; what was the history between her and Cyrus? Was she really into him as Barry had mentioned? If she had really only arrived for Cyrus, why take the whole town with her? Why mock Dawn and kill her mother? The sneer still echoed in her head; an unsightly puke-stain, pretty and nothing else. It reminded Dawn of the fact, she hadn’t actually told him about the encounter with the girl.

“That girl had beef with me.” She said in a whisper. He paused, looking at her. “She was at my house. She shot mom and then me.”

Dawn clenched her fists to the point, her knuckles turned white. The memory was burned into her mind, like a constant reminder of why she needed to keep fighting. It suddenly occurred to her that she now understood how Barry felt.

“I’m more involved than you think.”

“It would seem so.” He sat down across the table. She hadn’t seen it before now but there were heavy rings under his eyes as if he had walked countless nights without sleep. It made him look incredibly old too.

“Could you stay here, just a little longer?”

He nodded slowly and she rejoiced, not even wanting to scold herself for it this time. She needed this; she needed him. Yes, this would make up nicely for his abandonment of her, which made more sense with the tidbits of information, she had received. She wanted to be angry at him but found it hard to fully do so.

Dawn got up from the chair and washed her plate, feeling like a real housewife. Before returning to Sinnoh, all she ever ate was fast food and boxes from the shops, without ever using a plate or actual silverware. Standing over a sink of cleaning up like this, while a man was sitting behind her, made her feel all kinds of strange. She wondered if her mother had felt the same way when she gave up her independence for _his_ sake.

After cleaning the dishes and locking the villa, Dawn ascended the stairs with Cyrus in tow. It reminded her of the first time, they slept together.

 She had ever so slightly moved over when Cyrus sat down on the edge of the bed, hoping that he wouldn’t suddenly wander off again. He said nothing, staring into the empty abyss of the bedroom. It still smelled somewhat of cleaning products, yet that did not deter an exhausted Dawn. They sat there in silence, though she wished to talk, even if she had little idea of what to say.

Yet, her heart skipped a beat when she felt his hand stroking her head as he did in the hospital. And there, she silently lay, shunning the world if only for now when she didn’t want to deal with it. She looked at him, pleading for him to take her away, at least just for this night. Her pleas were silent, yet direct enough for him to respond. He leaned over, burying his nose in her hair whilst she fumbled with the buttons to his clothes. After getting half of them opened, he clasped her hand, asking her to not bother with it. Instead, she lay flatly on her back, closing her eyes as the sound of cloth brushing against skin echoed through the bedroom before two hands slid up underneath her skirt, making quick work of her panties and spreading her legs apart.  He was ever so rough, yet his touches were fleeting. Dawn couldn’t help but muse to herself; he was still a jerk but he sure knew when to make her feel good.

She could hear him breathe deeply, right before he slipped a finger inside of her. Her body had been anticipating him now, slightly squirming by his touch. He rubbed her inner walls and she tried to keep quiet but found it hard to contain, the slight moan that escaped her. He must have realized how impatient, she was getting so he made sure to make her all slick and wet before sliding in between her legs. The sensation of him made her catch her breath; it had been so long; too long.

He moved about and her breath grew ragged, the more her body revealed its cravings. Dawn gripped the sheets, shuddering as her body betrayed her, whimpering and moaning for more. Suddenly she felt something soft on her cheeks and she opened her eyes, surprised to see his hand resting near her face. She couldn’t properly see his face amidst the darkness but she knew he was looking at her. What did he think at times like these? Why suddenly show affection? Surely not out of pity, right? Then sorrow?

Regardless of his reasons, Dawn initially held her reservations. She closed her eyes again, biting her lip hard as she came. With a few more thrusts, he pulled out of her, spilling hot seed on her stomach. It cooled down quickly and immediately felt gross. Dawn grabbed the edges of her shirt and wiped herself clean.

He was still hovered over her, holding her face as if he was ready to say something, She was glad, he didn’t. She wondered what he thought, bedding her like this. She had given up finding answers some time ago and just enjoyed what she got. But it still left her hungry for answers.

“Kiss me.” She whispered, not expecting him to follow through. And he didn’t. Instead, he rose from the bed as if she had cursed his mother.

“I was just joking,” she lied, hoping it was as convincing as the thought it to be.

“I know.”

_No, he didn’t. Of course, he didn’t, that asshole._

He sat down on the bed next to her, though careful with not coming too close to her, kinda like a child afraid of cooties. Only when she was somewhat asleep, did he inch closer to her. 

**Author's Note:**

> Chiri is Cyrus’ Chinese name. I intend to use his Japanese name as his last name.


End file.
